


Brothers

by Fansize



Series: Florescendo ao Sol [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Big Brother England (Hetalia), Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, England's Fairie (Hetalia), Kid Russia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-02-22 22:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23601187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fansize/pseuds/Fansize
Summary: I totally lost the inspiration to write this summary, but in short, it is the relationship that develops between England and Russia and the other countries involved; a peek into the day-to-day lives of our two favorite nations as they strengthen their brotherly bonds.
Relationships: England & Russia (Hetalia), England/Russia (Hetalia)
Series: Florescendo ao Sol [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1528187
Comments: 20
Kudos: 59





	1. New and Old Bonds

"O amor não é um sentimento mas sim um dom!" - [Eu Meu Irmão e Nossa Namorada](https://www.pensador.com/autor/eu_meu_irmao_e_nossa_namorada/)

* * *

\- Ivan?! – He asked in confusion, looking at the little boy as he wondered if he was dreaming, with reason. When he went to sleep, Ivan was a little baby, just over a year old, and now he looked like he had four.

\- Arthur, hungry. Hunger. Hunger! - Ivan sang, pushing Arthur, who groaned, but got up. – Arthur ...

\- What is it, Ivan? I am already going to make breakfast... Just give me a second! – Arthur yawned, rubbing his frizzy hair and Ivan whimpered.

\- It hurts!

\- What?!

Turning quickly to the boy, fearing that he was getting feverish, Arthur was faced with the sight of a four year old child struggling to remove the elastic from his pajamas, totally torn and hurting his flesh, too small for the body that used it.

Arthur quickly ran to remove the scraps of clothing, Ivan's expression instantly relieved. Arthur looked for wounds and possible bleeding, but apart from redness on his pale skin, there was nothing and he sighed with relief.

Arthur raised Ivan's arms, checking his body (still chubby and without the baby smell now, but still pleasant) and realizing that he was much heavier to get up and knowing that Ivan liked his lap, the Briton already regretted his back. Another quick check showed that Ivan's fever had passed, which greatly eased Arthur, but now he had another problem at hand: if Ivan had grown up, it meant that the clothes he had no longer fit him and that made Arthur groan in protest.

"He only used them for three months... He looked so cute in them..."

Sighing in defeat, Arthur imagined that there was nothing to do but go shopping. Again.

\- Hunger, hunger! – Ivan wailed, pulling Arthur again.

\- Okay, okay. Come on.

Laughing, Ivan jumped out of bed and ran across the room; practically naked. Arthur shouted and ran after him, picking him up at the foot of the stairs and heading back to the room where he motioned for the Russian to wait in bed, relieved that, despite being sulky, Ivan obeyed while he looked for something for the Russian to wear.

He found the old clothes from his former colonies, happily cleaned and ready to be used. Ivan was agitated, swinging his legs while Arthur dressed him and as soon as he was released he ran out of the room. The older blond shook his head and changed quickly before Ivan got hurt.

He didn’t have to worry, however, as when he left the room he was faced with the sight of Ivan crawling up the stairs, clearly startled by the distance to the bottom floor, but slowly coming down and that made Arthur smile.

Shaking his head with a warm smile, Arthur quickly went down the steps and caught Ivan, raising him up in the air and making him scream and then laugh.

\- Arthur! – Ivan scolded him with giggles, clinging to his neck.

\- What do you want to eat today, little one?

\- Grénki! - Ivan exclaimed, surprising Arthur. - Grénki! Grénki!!

This left Arthur a little confused, but a quick search on the internet showed that it was simpler to do than he expected and soon he was putting pieces of fried stale bread with some pieces of fruit as an accompaniment.

Once the dish was placed in front of him, Ivan started to eat without even waiting for Arthur to help him, and that surprised the Briton a little bit before he told the Russian to slow down. Ivan obeyed, although he continued to eat as if the food was going to escape him.

While Arthur prepared his own breakfast and thought about how much more money he would spend, Ivan tried to get to the ingredients on the table, not far from him, tilting the chair so much, that it eventually toppled over. Luckily, Arthur noticed and managed to grab the chair before she and the boy hit the floor, Ivan clinging to Arthur with wide eyes, obviously scared.

\- Ivan! What are you doing? Be careful!

\- _boleye_ (more). – Ivan groaned, looking at the food anxiously. - Hunger.

\- You want more? Do not you think you have eaten too much?

\- Hunger! – Ivan exclaimed and although he was not very happy to see the child eat so much, the Brit made him more fried breads that Ivan devoured with pleasure.

When Ivan finished eating he looked at Arthur anxiously, shaking his bare feet and Arthur included socks and shoes on his shopping list. He put Ivan on the floor and noticed how the boy would rub his arms, looking around the kitchen curiously and wondering what he was looking for Arthur asked him to wait, moving away from the kitchen.

Startled, Ivan ran up to Arthur and grabbed him by the legs, whimpering his name.

\- Hey, Ivan ...

\- Nyet. Nyet! Stay!

\- Calm down, I am just going to...

Ivan continued to cling to Arthur's leg, with such strength that it started to hurt and with no alternative, the Brit had to take Ivan with him to the bedroom to get the scarf (and change it, because he made a mess with the juice fruits). He carefully wrapped the scarf around Ivan's neck, laughing when the cloth almost swallowed him whole and took another picture.

\- Lovely… Can you walk, Ivan?

Ivan tried to take a few steps, only to end up tripping over the end of the scarf and sighing with a restrained smile, Arthur lifted him up and wrapped the scarf a little more around him before helping him to walk, the reminder of helping Ivan give the your first steps flashing in your memory.

A quick look at the sky showed it slightly cloudy, threatening to rain soon and Arthur decided it was the perfect time for them to leave, leaving their nostalgic thoughts and taking Ivan and his wallet.

\- Arthur? – Ivan asked the eldest when they saw that they were walking out the front door, something he had never done before, at least not in his short memory.

\- Shall we take a walk, Ivan?

Whether Ivan understood him or not, Arthur didn’t know, but the boy looked very happy when they left the house, amazed by the front garden and especially the cloudy sky, looking at everything with wide and bright eyes, a wide smile on his plump face that made Arthur smile too.

He took them to his car, a simple model, nothing current, but which left Ivan equally delighted, pointing to the car and demanding to know what it was, or at least that was what the Englishman imagined the excited gestures meant. Explaining quickly, Arthur put him in his car seat (now a little too small for him) and after assuring the child that he wasn't leaving him, Arthur got into the driver's seat, looking at Ivan through the rearview mirror.

Ivan seemed startled when the car's engine roared to life and the car moved, until he saw the landscape outside. Arthur's house was out of town, in a simple little village, close to nature and the only person to live with him was Arthur and for a time, a strange young man with a warm smile, but nothing compared to that of his guardian . Seeing London totally for the first time - at least as far as he knew - was an incredible thing.

There were so many people coming and going and the buildings seemed to be tall enough to touch the sky itself and the cars ... They were loud and huge, a little scary for little Ivan, but the wonder of it all quickly stifled his fear. Arthur wondered if the next time they came back to buy more clothes - because Ivan would grow up again, that was a fact - he would have the same reaction.

Arthur decided to go to a different shopping district than the last time, not wanting to risk finding people who might remember him and Ivan; luckily London was a big city and shopping was not lacking. A few good minutes wandering around London took them to a children's store that, in addition to clothes, sold toys and it was the latter that attracted the attention of the little Russian.

\- Come on, Ivan, let's choose your clothes first, okay? If you behave we will buy toys for you later.

Most likely Ivan didn’t understand what Arthur said, as he continued to look anxiously at the toys, allowing himself to be dragged by Arthur to the clothing section. Luckily, the colorful garments and flashy prints managed to catch his attention and soon the two were entertained with shopping, Arthur showing Ivan several pieces of clothing and the child choosing what most interested him.

In the end Arthur took ten shirts, three t-shirts for the cold, two coats, some hats, a pair of thicker boots and four shoes, one of them being more social, fifteen pants and three shorts. Some gloves were also included, as well as socks and underwear. Finally, Arthur allowed Ivan to choose some toys, winning an overwhelming hug from the small nation that just didn't break his neck because the Brit was also one.

\- Ivan, be careful. You hurt me!

\- Owie?! – Ivan asked, startled.

\- Yes, owie. But do not worry, everything is fine! – Arthur assured, but that did not stop Ivan from worrying and caressing Arthur's neck gently, repeating "owie" a few times. With a small sigh and a gentle smile, Arthur stroked Ivan's platinum hair, catching his eye. – I am fine, love, you did not hurt me. But be nice next time, okay?

Ivan stared at him for a few moments with expressionless eyes before nodding in understanding and satisfied Arthur put Ivan on the floor and let him choose his toys, following behind him. This seemed to excite Ivan, who immediately gave himself up to the task willingly. Ivan chose a game of dinosaurs, a game of strollers, a toy phone and a teddy bear that was bigger than him; in fact, it was so big, almost twice the size of Ivan, that Arthur was surprised that the little boy was able to carry it and immediately took it from Ivan, hoping that no one had seen the scene or he would have trouble explaining himself.

Arthur even took a packet of crayons, one of colored pencils and a set of pens, about five coloring books, a sketch pad and six children's books on animals and flowers. The purchase turned out to be quite expensive, mainly because of the toys, but Arthur didn't have the courage to take some of them out of the basket, mainly seeing Ivan's enamored look at his new belongings and he told himself it was worth it. He at least hoped that Ivan would remain at that age for a few months.

When they returned to the house, Ivan wearing a white shirt with red stripes and blue pants (Arthur found this unconscious patriotic preference funny), it was lunchtime and Ivan was already agitated, demanding food.

\- Arthur, hungry! – Ivan whimpered suddenly, shaking his feet in impatience as Arthur carried him inside the house, trying to withstand the blows to his belly. Ivan was really strong; Arthur would have to teach him to contain all that strength later.

\- Ok, ok, just let me get things out of the car, can I? – Arthur groaned.

He offered one of the fruit porridge to Ivan while he thought of something more substantial for the boy to eat, opting for a chicken sandwich and juice, pleased to see Ivan eating voraciously and he took the time to better observe the child, analyzing each change in the way you look. Ivan was apparently the same physical age as when Arthur met Alfred and Matthews, between the ages of three and four, although he was not as talkative as his former colony, but as curious as any child.

Arthur imagined that the sudden changes in age were hindering his learning and considered possible solutions on how to solve this problem. He was determined to give the young nation the best education.

The two returned to the living room and as it was cold due to the rain that was coming, Arthur decided to light the fireplace, a beautiful piece of white granite cut with frescoes on the front pillars and hibiscus on the upper central column.

Thanking him for having some firewood available by the fireplace, Arthur put some logs together with an old newspaper and lit the fire, aware of Ivan's attentive gaze, who was delighted when the fire came on the matchstick and even more when he started grow inside the fireplace.

The child's innocence made Arthur laugh, although he had to move Ivan away a little, warning him of the danger of getting burned.

\- Don't get too close, Ivan, the fire can hurt you. It hurts!

\- Hu’t?

\- Yes, hurts. – Ivan watched the fire as if he had discovered something surprising, keeping a safe distance, but close enough to keep warm by the fire and he smiled. – Do you know what this is, Ivan? Fire. Repeat after me: Fi-re!

\- Fi… ri?

\- Almost there!

Arthur laughed and continued to teach Ivan how to pronounce the word, congratulating him when he succeeded and excited Ivan started pointing at various objects around the room, laughing when he managed to hit something and getting frustrated when he missed. Arthur was pleased to see how fast the little Russian learned, encouraging him all the time and without realizing it, they spent the whole day like this.

The four-year-old Ivan (at least in appearance) was different from the baby Ivan in several ways, although at the same time similar. Both Ivans were sticky, clinging to Arthur at all times and crying if Arthur walked away, but as long as Arthur was around the Brit could work on his documents without a problem, until Ivan was hungry.

Another similar thing was how much they ate; as much as a baby as a child, Ivan seemed to have an appetite beyond his age, which perhaps justified his chubby body, something Arthur thought was cute and once or twice the thought of Ivan being chubby as an adult crossed his mind, being quickly discarded .

Ivan was very curious for a child, always pointing to something he didn't know and asking Arthur to say the words, enjoying the books that Arthur gave him, even though he could barely understand them, admiring the images. The books on flowers were Ivan's favorites and Arthur dug up all the books he thought would be pertinent to the child in his old chests.

* * *

\- Arthur! We came to play! – A male fairy with emerald green butterfly wings and Blusky screamed, exploding through the window that hit the walls rather violently, scaring the two nations and almost making Arthur pierce himself with the embroidery needle and Ivan quickly jumped out of his little one nest of pillows where he was reading to hide behind Arthur, scared.

\- What did I say about entering my house like this?! Honestly, do you have any sense of decorum?! Invading a house like that... They scared Ivan and almost made me prick my fingers! – Arthur scolded, but his indignation was quickly ignored by his magical friends who turned their attention to the child hidden behind the Brit's legs.

\- Is that Ivan?! – Ailujhy asked, approaching the child who watched them with wide and curious eyes. – Oh, how he grew up... Do you remember us, Ivan?

\- Wow, I couldn't believe he would look even cuter! – One of the male fairies exclaimed, spinning around Ivan who quickly retreated, even more scared, sort of creating a game of tag around Arthur until the blonde pushed the fairy away, looking at him in warning and the fairy stood up hands in surrender, moving away.

\- Arthur? – Ivan asked the eldest, tilting his head towards him not sure what to do and Arthur stroked his soft hair.

\- These are my friends, Ivan. Do you remember them? Ailujhy, Blusky, Rose, Sunlight, MintWind and Orceus! – Arthur introduced them, pointing respectively to the gnome, the fairies and the unicorn cub that entered the kitchen door (the little darling must have opened it with his teeth again, because Arthur was sure he had closed the door) snorted at the sound of his name and trotted around the room in a row, stopping close to the two nations and bringing his nose close to Ivan, making the boy laugh after overcoming his astonishment and grabbing his snout.

\- Orceu!

\- Oh, my god, he's already talking! Is well! – Blusky perked up. – Now my name! Say my name, Ivan: Blusky!

\- Blusskai! – Ivan repeated, laughing and with an excited little cry, the blue fairy stood before Ivan's face, flapping his wings so fast that he threw glitter on him, making him sneeze. Although surprised by the sneeze, Ivan laughed and repeated the names as he pointed from one to the other and soon the magical creatures were on top of Ivan, asking him to say their names. – If you are friends of Arthur, are you also my friends?

The question caused a collective “aaawwn” and they were quick to assure Ivan that it was, by telling him several times when they had interacted before. Seeing that the small group was distracted, Arthur took the opportunity to return to his embroidery, a small gift he was giving to the Russian, but unfortunately, the universal forces did not seem willing to let this happen, because at the moment that Arthur sat In his chair he heard a loud knock on the front door.

\- HEY, IGGY! WHERE ARE YOU?! WE NEED TO TALK! SHOW UP!

\- Damn, what is this idiot doing here?! - Arthur panicked, recognizing Alfred's voice. – The only answer he received was Ivan's tearful sob, which clung to him, scared and looking ready to cry, which only left the Brit in a greater panic.

Alfred couldn't see Ivan, not now. Without thinking much, Arthur grabbed Ivan and threw him on the unicorn, scaring the creatures away.

\- Quick, go away now! He can't see Ivan here!

The creatures were desperate and probably would have argued against it, but the knocking was repeated once again and Alfred threatened to knock the door down, so, clinging to Orceus's mane they fled into the forest, taking a frightened Ivan with them.

More than quickly, Arthur fled to the living room, hoping to get to the door before Alfred knocked it down, but he was not so lucky, as soon as he crossed the hall the fragile wooden doors came crashing down.

\- IGGY! I knew you were at home; I saw your car outside! Why are you ignoring me?!

\- You idiot, could not you wait for me to open the door? I was busy! – Arthur snarled, putting himself in front of Alfred so he wouldn't see the room.

\- Well, whatever, you are here now, so we need to talk! Alfred took a step to the side, intending to walk into the room, but was stopped by Arthur, who stood before him.

\- If you wanted to talk, you would have called me; what you want?

\- You are kidding with me? I've been trying to talk to you for days! – Alfred exclaimed indignantly. – I expected to talk to you during the meeting, but you left on the second day! What?! Now that you've become a friend of that ruski, can't you talk to me anymore? And by the way, what the hell were you thinking, Arthur? Why are you relating to Russia, of all countries?!

\- Alfred... – Arthur fought the urge to rub his temples, not wanting to lose his temper and fight. – I will make one thing very clear: what I do or do not do is not about you, much less your government!

\- He's making you do that, isn't he? Don't worry, Artie, I'm going to save you from him, okay? After all, I'm the hero! – Alfred exclaimed with his goofy smile and this time Arthur didn’t hide his dismay, sighing deeply while rubbing his forehead.

\- Do I look weak to you? – The Brit asked with clenched teeth, confusing the American for a moment.

\- What?

\- Do I look weak to you?!

\- No, but…

\- So, know that I can take care of myself very well! Russia and I entered into a trade agreement, Alfred, that simple! If you are unable to understand this, it is not my problem! Now, go away!

Alfred stepped away from Arthur's attempt to take him outside, clearly displeased, his lips tight and his brow furrowed.

\- But why him? We could have made that deal! What is that communist offering so advantageously, that you would risk suffering sanctions from my country?!

\- Go away, Alfred, please. This is a topic for a meeting and I don't want to have it here, in my house!

\- Not! I don’t believe this explanation and I will not leave until I understand! And why are you blocking me here? Are you hiding someone?! Is that communist here?! I knew it! – Pushing Arthur to the side with a little more force than necessary, Alfred screamed the room. – HEY, RUSKI, LEAVE NOW! YOU ARE INTIMIDATING ENGLAND TO MAKE THIS AGREEMENT WITH YOU, ARE YOU NOT? Where are you…?!

Alfred stopped talking as he looked around the room, trying to understand the scene he saw: toys scattered everywhere, some children's books here and there along with colored pencils and a couple of folded clothes.

\- Dear Iggy, this is... Are you raising a child? – The American asked, looking at him curiously and confusedly, his previous mission forgotten.

\- Alfred, he left my house; now! - Arthur ordered angrily.

\- Wait; it is? Is that why you are doing all this? Your new deal with Russia... Arthur! – Alfred grabbed the Brit's shoulders tighter than necessary, scaring the poor man while hurting him.

\- Hey, Alfred; stop it, it is hurting me...

\- He forced you? Of course, yes; is Russia! That bastard; I will kill you! Tell me where he is, Arthur, I will end his race!

\- What are you talking about, wanker ?! - Arthur pushed Alfred away from him, irritated by the unnecessary force and a little confused, not knowing what the other was talking about. - I don't know what's going on in your bird brain, but it's not like that!

\- How can I not? Are you even telling me that you accepted this? - Alfred grunted, pointing to the scene around and Arthur worried that the other had understood what was happening, but it was Alfred he was talking about, so Arthur was not sure, but decided to continue playing together.

\- Yes! - He replied firmly and Alfred's glasses cracked in shock.

\- Y-ye-yeah?! Did you… did you really accept that?!

\- I already said yes, you idiot! What's your problem? Unlearned English?! I am not a weak country, Alfred! I may no longer be the great empire I once was, but I am not a force to be underestimated; not for you and not for Russia! Now, if you're done, go!

\- But... Artie... It doesn't...

\- Out! Arthur pushed Alfred down the hall and out the door, picking up his fallen door and lifting it up. – And if you break into my house again, I will kick you out!

Alfred opened his mouth and closed it several times, imitating a goldfish out of the water, even when Arthur closed the door. He must have been frozen for a full minute there, before Arthur opened one of his windows and stuck his head out.

\- I meant it, Alfred! Go away!

Arthur didn't wait to see if Alfred would obey him, slamming the window hard and hiding beside him, out of sight, and when he heard Alfred's footsteps, he was relieved. Even more relieved, he peered out the window and saw that Alfred really left. He figured it would be more work to get the other country to go, but he was relieved by this little blessing.

Sighing, Arthur returned to his porch, calling for his friends and Ivan, hoping he could return to his previous schedule.

\- Blusky! Orceus! Ivan? You can come back! – Arthur shouted towards the forest, starting to get worried when no one answered. - Ivan? Guys?!

\- He is gone?! – A male voice asked, suddenly emerging from a thicket next to Arthur, making him jump a little. Orceus's head appeared shortly afterwards, with Ivan clutching his horn, a little scared and with watery eyes. The sight of the little Russian soothed Arthur, who was already thinking about tragic scenarios, quickly taking the boy in his arms.

\- Yes. That kid; knocking down my door like that... Maybe I should have answered the phone earlier. - Arthur sighed, a little worried, but forgot it when Ivan shook himself in his arms. – Ah, well, I'll worry about that later.

* * *

Arthur shouldn’t have left this for later, because then he wouldn’t be feeling the enormous desire to hit his head on a hard surface; tough enough to knock him out and make him forget that all of this was happening. On the other hand, he imagined that part of the fault was his for not explaining things right to Alfred, but he did not imagine that the young nation would spread such bullshit.

\- For the last time, idiot, I did not have a son by Ivan! I am simply looking after a baby for a friend! – Arthur snarled on the phone, married and angry. – What do you mean, “what a friend”?! Know that I have many, okay? It is not because you are idiots who live isolated in their homes that I do the same! There is?! Hypo… Hypocrite, me?!

As Arthur paced, arguing furiously, Arthur didn’t notice the small figure standing outside the door, watching his guardian with concern and a little fear.

The little blond was frightened and worried about his guardian, having watched for hours as he screamed at the strange object in his ear that had been making loud noise for two days. Part of him wanted to be angry with whoever was upsetting his guardian, but most of him just wanted to see his guardian smile and he thought of a way to resolve it.

\- Arthur likes food... He'll be happy if I do something for him. – Ivan concluded, smiling to himself and with a last look at Arthur he ran downstairs, a wide smile on his face.

When he reached the kitchen he stopped and looked around, wondering what to do; everything was very big and it seemed so difficult... But Ivan would not give up. He would do something to cheer up his guardian and Ivan liked food, so he imagined Arthur too.

With that in mind, he headed for the fridge, where Arthur was taking a lot of delicious things, stumbling back a little when he opened the fridge and cringing for a moment before starting to look at the contents. There were vegetables, greens and many colorful pots, as well as fruits. Everything he already ate on a day-to-day basis. Arthur needed to prove something different.

A sudden idea came to him and smiling, Ivan quickly grabbed the butter and milk, dragging a chair (very easily, it turns out) to be able to get the sugar jar from the cupboard.

Arthur used utensils to prepare things and he kept them at the bottom of the closet, which was not difficult to find. With the ingredients and utensils gathered and a large wooden spoon, Ivan set to work, pouring large amounts of butter and sugar into the bowl, pouring out almost all the milk and eventually spilling some on his clothes.

This displeased him, but Ivan decided to concentrate on his task, thinking about how happy Arthur would be. It was not easy, mainly because the bowl didn’t stop in place and Ivan had to sit and hold with his legs, making his pants even more dirty with splashes.

After finishing mixing the dough, Ivan began to pull out pieces and make balls, sticking them in the middle. He knew that after that he should bake the cookies, but he didn't know how to use the stove, so he just put the raw balls in the bowl and hoped Arthur would like it. And he finished just in time, because at that moment he heard Arthur come down the stairs, muttering something about "annoying nations".

\- Ivan? Where are you?!

\- Kitchen!

\- Kitchen?! You are not eating again, are you? Your snack is still a few hours away... Ivan! – Arthur stopped in the middle of the sentence, looking at the mess with wide eyes before turning to the small nation that seemed surprised by the cry of his name, not expecting that reaction, nor that Arthur seemed so angry. - Ivan, what did you do?!

\- Don't like it? – The little Russian asked with concern, not understanding what he had done wrong.

\- You made a mess on the kitchen floor! And it got all dirty! What were you thinking?! Now I'm going to have to give you another bath!

\- So-sowrry! – Ivan stirred, disappointed with himself. – Arthur looked... Um, not happy... I wanted Arthur happy! - Ivan explained with tears in his eyes and that made Arthur melt.

\- Oh, love, really? And what did you do?

\- Pomádka.

\- Po-pomaka?!

\- Pomádka. – Ivan laughed. – I wanted to make Arthur smile... I'm sowrry!

Looking at the sorry boy, Arthur felt a little bit of guilt, until he noticed the mess that surrounded him and with a sigh he took one of the sticky dough balls, analyzing it closely.

\- That was very kind of you, Ivan; you are a good boy and i am happy for that! But kitchen stuff can be dangerous and look at the mess you've made. – Arthur pointed and Ivan was even more sad when he noticed, curling up a little and twitching his fingers to grab his teddy, which was a bit far at the moment.

Compassionate for the child, Arthur decided to try one of the dumplings, finding it very sweet, but not that bad; if he took some of the sugar and baked Arthur, he was sure it would be delicious, and that's what he said to Ivan, who opened the biggest smile in the world.

\- It’s good?!

\- Yes, it was very delicious. But starting today, if you want to tinker in the kitchen, call me, okay?

\- Da!

\- Good. Now, let's clean up this mess and then give you a bath.

\- Da!

Laughing at Ivan's antics, Arthur took the cleaning supplies and offered Ivan a cloth and instructed him to dry the milk on the floor. Luckily the dirt was not very widespread and the two nations finished quickly, leaving only Ivan to clean up. Deciding to enjoy the sunny day, Arthur's suggestion to wash himself outside was welcome to the Russian, who ran out onto the porch after Arthur, grabbing his leg.

Arthur filled a tub with water in the yard, exactly on a circle of stones in the garden, so that he wouldn't make a mud. Ivan loved water, laughing whenever the hose poured a small torrent over his head, playing carefree with some flowers that Arthur had plucked from his garden to distract him.

After the shower (with lots of foam from the shampoo) Arthur dried Ivan's hair on the balcony with a hairdryer, pleased to see the boy clean and his shiny hair.

"Who would have thought Russia would have such soft hair..." Arthur laughed to himself.

\- Arthur smiling! Arthur Happy?!

\- Yes I am happy.

\- I’m hap’y too. – Ivan smiled, relieved. – Arthur was angry before ... What?

\- Ah, well... My brothers were bothering me; making asking idiots and meaningless. I think I exaggerated a little if I worried you...

\- Br… Boders? What is… Bwoo…

\- Brother!

\- Broo-ther?

\- Very well, brother! Ah, well, brothers... Brothers are people who share blood ties with you, most of the time. Brothers are families!

\- Ah, _brat_! – Ivan exclaimed, happy to understand the word, although Arthur couldn’t say the same. So Ivan asked an innocent question, but one that left Arthur so shocked that he couldn't answer for a few moments, stammering confusedly before clearing his throat. – Are we brothers?

\- Br-bro-brothers?! You and I?! – Arthur stirred, a blush rising up his neck along with an emotion that made his heart beat faster and he let out a strange giggle. – We-well, I do not think I can be... We are not related by blood, although you are European... Bu-bu-bu-but you have two sisters! They are in their homes now; Ukraine and Belarus… You will see them soon. Don't you remember them?

Ivan thought for a while. He had no exact memories of his life other than the house he currently lived in, but images of cream-colored hair swaying in the cold wind that carried snow blinked in his memory and he asked Arthur what they would be like. Arthur had to think a little, looking for the right words to describe two people he knew little about.

\- I do not know much how they are; I never talked to them much, but they seem to love you very much. "One, too much!"

\- More than you? – Ivan asked out of nowhere, surprising Arthur.

\- A-ah, well, yes. Yes I think. They are your family; family must love each other!

\- But you weren't angry with your brothers? Why?

Arthur sighed, wondering how sad his situation was if even a child noticed it.

\- Well, it is normal for families to fight. We don't always understand each other, but we continue to love each other. Just ... We disagree with each other sometimes!

\- Can we be brother? I will be a good brother! Pleeeeaase!!

\- Wha-do you want to be my brother? Re-really?! It has been a long time since I was considered an older brother; I am the youngest of my family, you know? Although I have created many nations; II think... I think we can be. Brothers! If you want to.

\- I want! You are my _Stashiy brat (Starshiy brat - big brother)_! - Ivan hugged Arthur suddenly, knocking him down with the force of his jump. Luckily they were on the porch, so there was no risk of getting dirty. – I will never make you angry like your brothers, Arthur!

\- Not once? – Arthur teased and Ivan shook his head emphatically.

\- Not once!

\- So you are a good boy.

\- Yeah!! Good boy!


	2. Francis, the Visit (usually) Unwanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Fansize here. Before we go on with the story, just let me pass on a few messages that I should have given in the previous chapter.  
> When Ivan says "stashiy brat", he means "staRshiy brat", which, according to Google Translate, is "Big brother" in Russian. I will be using several Russian words from now on and the meaning will be in parentheses, unless they are used frequently, "Brat" being the translation for "brother".  
> In addition, I often mix human names with country names. I'm sorry for that, it happened and it was too big to change, but basically, human names are used to indicate a more intimate approximation between interactions.  
> Also, phrases between "" indicate character's thoughts.  
> I'm sorry for the mistakes; English is not my first language.Feel free to point out the errors and comment. I love to see my readers commenting and leaving kudos. I ask you not to abandon me; this story is moving towards its end, I swear!

_Ter um irmão é ter, pra sempre, uma infância lembrada com segurança em outro coração. - Tati Bernadi_

* * *

> _I know that the image doesn't have much to do with the story, but the friendship and enmity between England and France is very old and I can't find any more images of Baby! Russia_

\- _Angleterre_ , _mon ami_ , open the door; i know you are home! – Came the singing and irritatingly familiar voice from outside and Arthur almost dropped his glass, not believing what he was hearing.

"Damn it, what is that damn frog doing here?!" Arthur wondered, looking towards the entrance to Ivan in a panic. He didn't want the idiot French to see Ivan yet. The bastard was a bloody gossip and all of Europe, if not the world, would know what happened before it was too late. - Ivan, stay here in the kitchen and make no noise, okay? I will get rid of the hassle and be right back!

A little worried, Ivan nodded and satisfied Arthur ran to the door, opening it with a furious look at his unwanted guest, who laughed at his expression, looking very pleased to be bothering the Brit.

\- _Bonjour, Angleterre_. Beautiful day, isn't it?

\- Yes wonderful. Now, out! - Arthur slammed the door closed, only to be stopped by a foot and making a breach Francis tried to force himself inside the Englishman's house. - What are you doing, idiot?

\- Come on, _Angleterre_ , I came a long way just to visit you; it is impolite to expel your guests like that; aren’t you calling yourself a gentleman?!

\- You are not my guest, only an intruder! Get out! What the hell do you want here?

\- Just visiting, nothing much. This is not a crime, is it? Did you return to your splendid isolation by any chance?!

\- Fuck you, you frog, go away! Did Alfred send you here, by any chance?

\- Of course not, is there a reason for that? Come on, Arthur, let me in! - Francis insisted, pushing the door harder, the two nations almost similar in power seeming to dispute a tug of war of wills.

\- Get out of my house, you damn frog, or I'm going to curse you!

\- THIS IS NOT FAIR, ARTHUR! Why are you hiding the child from me? I want to see you!

\- I KNEW, YOU DAMN INTERESTING! GO AWAY! - Arthur shouted, trying to slam the door in Francis' face, but the Frenchman was stronger and with a strong push Francis managed to push Arthur away, sending him to the ground while he stumbled in the entrance. Arthur fell with more force than expected and before he could recover he was grabbed by Francis who was looking at him with a rather frightening look.

\- Come on; why didn't you at least tell big brother here that you were relating to Russia? Totally unfair! You had a child together and you didn't even tell me... Why?! Didn't you even consider having a child with me?! How cruel!

\- Shut up, you idiot and stop talking nonsense! Not in a million years will I have a child with you! Besides, I am not in a relationship with Russia the way you think and even if I was, why, in the name of the queen, would I tell you of all the people?! Now, get out!

Arthur tried to get Francis off him, who continued to say absurdities, without much success. The “fight” of the two men was interrupted by a childish scream and the sound of hurried steps and before they could understand what was happening Francis got off Arthur with a push that shouldn't have been, but it had been pretty painful, at least for his hips.

\- Bad man. Bad man! Stay away! - Ivan shouted desperately, hitting Francis as hard as he could with his small fists, which, being Russia, was a little beyond what a child should have and was certainly hurting Francis, who was screaming for help.

\- Ivan! - Arthur ran to get it, pulling the frightened child in his lap. - It's okay, it is okay! Calm down!

Ivan spewed several words in Russian that Arthur couldn’t understand, but it was obvious that the child was terrified and this infuriated Arthur, who threw daggers with his eyes at Francis.

\- You stupid frog; see what you did!

\- What did I do? I was the one who just got hurt here, _Angleterre_! - Francis complained, aching, rising with a groan. - This brat is really strong; no wonder, being a son of Russia!

\- If you say more nonsense, you will be hit again! - Arthur seriously threatened and recognizing the danger to his physical integrity, Francis left this matter aside. At least for a while.

Despite the pain, the child's sight really impressed him and he peered at it with interest, making Ivan whimper and cling to Arthur tightly.

\- Honhonhon, what do we have here? He's incredibly cute; even like Russia… just a little bigger than expected…

\- Of course, you idiot! Contrary to what you and the rest of the world seem to think, I am not raising a child from Russia; this is him!

Francis looked at Arthur with a frozen smile for a moment, winking from the boy to the adult before a blank look appeared on his face.

\- Have you been eating strange things again, Arthur? I mean, besides your food? Or did these atrocities you cook finally affect your brain?! – The accusation irritated Arthur, who felt the urge to punch the stupid Frenchman in the face, but Francis's approach silenced him, his biggest concern concentrating on keeping Ivan away from him. - But most importantly ... Let me get you a little; he is so adorable that i could just eat him!

\- Keep you dirty hands away from my baby, you pervert! - Arthur warned, taking a few steps back. There was a moment of shocked silence at the statement before Arthur's face burned with embarrassment. - I-and-I ... This is not ... I just ... SHUT UP, STUPID TOAD! I SAID THAT THIS IS IVAN!

Startled by the cry, Ivan clung to Arthur more and began to whimper, caressing his face with concern.

\- Arthur angry... Nyet, nyet! Bad man!

Rubbing Ivan's head, Arthur sighed, heading for the kitchen. Apparently the stupid Frenchman wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

\- If you're going to be a nuisance at least let me finish serving breakfast to Ivan and I'll explain things.

As he walked away, murmuring insults, Francis took his time to look around the room, noting, as did Alfred, the changes in the Brit's room. Arthur's house had always had that cozy atmosphere, but now it felt more… alive, like when he took care of his colonies. It was a nostalgic atmosphere and Francis found himself smiling with a certain sadness at the feeling.

\- Are you coming or not? - Arthur asked, looking at his friend, sometimes rival, with a little grimace before turning his attention to Ivan and shaking his head to ward off the feelings in his chest, Francis headed for the kitchen, anxious to hear the explanation of Arthur.

* * *

-… And that's the story! - Arthur finished counting, pouring some tea for Francis. He had finished feeding Ivan and put him in the room with a book to distract him, not wanting the child to overhear their conversation.

\- If I wasn't looking, I wouldn't believe it; are you sure you haven't had an affair with our Russian friend, Arthur?

\- Listen here, unhappy frog, use those words near him again and I curse you! - Arthur warned with clenched teeth, calming down quickly when Ivan looked at him with wide eyes from the room, not enjoying seeing Arthur upset. Much to the British's irritation, instead of feeling threatened the Frenchman laughed, clearly amused.

\- _Je suis désolé_ , Arthur, but it's amazing, seeing how he looks so different now; he’s really an innocent child!

\- Well, yes... All children are. - Arthur sighed, taking a sip of tea.

\- So that's why you lifted your sanctions against Russia? Are you taking care of him just out of interest?!

\- And do you think another country would not do the same? - Arthur returned the grimace of Francis with the question. - But not; I will not tell you my reasons, even if they do not interest you, but it is not just a matter of interest; in fact, it came much later, about two months after I started taking care of him, I would say!

\- Calm down, mon ami, I'm not scolding you. We are countries, after all and our relationships are based on interest. But why haven't you explained that to other countries yet? A lot of rumors are circulating ... Promiscuité, out there about you two! - Francis replied with some malice, especially in the last sentence, serving only to irritate the Brit.

\- Whose fault is it? I know very well that Alfred started this ridiculous rumor, but I bet you helped spread it, with your gossip habits without thinking about what you're saying!

\- _Mon ami_ , you hurt me with your accusations. Honhonhonhonhon…

Arthur held his mug tightly so as not to throw it in the irritating face, knowing it would bother Ivan. The things he did for the children…

\- I still haven't told him what he is! - Arthur confessed with a sigh. - Ivan is still very small; I do not want him to get involved in politics or things like that yet! I am not even sure he would understand the notion of being a nation!

\- You can't leave him in the dark, Arthur! - Francis scolded him. - And his family? Your country?! Everyone has realized that something has happened to Russia, since he has not been seen for a few months! This can be dangerous for him! And for you!

\- Will not be! Russia is under the protection of the British Empire and if necessary, I will find other allies, but nothing will happen to him! Not while he Is under my guard!

\- _Mon ami_ , you play a dangerous game... Russia won't be like this forever, will it? What will you do when he returns to normal? - Francis shook his head, worried, even if he didn't show much.

\- And it is a game that I know how to play well; Russia will do nothing against me! Now, stop worrying so much, Francis. I know what I am doing!

\- I really hope so, Arthur. - Francis sighed, deciding not to insist on the subject anymore. To ease the tension between them, his eyes turned to Ivan, who continued to watch them in silence and when his eyes met, the boy made a small face, probably to show his displeasure, but he was so cute that Francis laughed. - Now that we've talked about boring things, do you intend to show me the little one?

Despite wanting to refuse, Arthur relented, calling for Ivan, who quickly got up and ran to Arthur's side, clinging to the Briton as if his life depended on it while watching the Frenchman closely.

\- Ivan, this is Francis. He is an old acquaintance of mine. Introduce yourself to him, will you? - Arthur carefully pushed Ivan towards Francis, but the boy refused to go too far, watching the Frenchman suspiciously and a little uncertainly, turning his violet eyes to his guardian. - Come on, it is simple: say your name and be polite. You can do this, right?

Ivan nodded, though still unsure, but turned to Francis and bowed a little, the way he had seen Arthur do before with strangers in the store and on the streets when they went out to buy his new clothes.

\- Hi, my name is Ivan. He murmured, quickly turning to Arthur's side.

\- Hello, Ivan, my name is Francis, but you can call me big brother, or even pope, if you want!

\- No, he does not want! - Arthur intervened, annoyed and turned Ivan to him, looking him in the eye. - Listen, Ivan, address him just like Francis or Frog, if he irritates you too much. Never be alone with him and anything kick him in the middle of the legs!

\- Hey, Arthur, stop teaching these dangerous things! Why are you being so mean?!

\- It is just a precaution; I do not want you to influence him!

\- You are very boring, you know? All the colonies I created did very well; the same cannot be said about yours; take poor Matthew, for example...

\- I-this has nothing to do with me, frog! - Arthur replied, squeezing Ivan with a little force. - All my ex-colonies were fine and Ivan is very well, too! If anything, I would say that **you** are the bad influence!

\- Very well! - Ivan nodded, even if he didn't understand the conversation properly. He just knew that his brother was mad at that funny stranger.

\- Oh, _mon dieu_ , you are really cute; come with the big brother, come! I bet you will enjoy being with me more than with that brow! - Francis teased sinisterly, hovering over Ivan who looked genuinely scared.

\- Francis, stop... - Arthur tried to stop, but before he could Ivan punched Francis in the face and started crying, hiding himself in the Brit's chest. - Oh, great…

\- He's really strong, huh? It is no surprise, since it is Russia. Honhonhonhon! - Francis laughed, showing a smile that would have been good-natured if it weren't for the slightly swollen and red left cheek and blood running down his nose.

\- You're an idiot... - Arthur scolded him, trying to calm Ivan.

\- I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Ivan, how about we play a game? - Francis tried and managed to capture the attention of Ivan, who despite being still teary and a little scared, also seemed very interested in the proposal.

\- A game?!

\- Yes, but you're going to have to leave Arthur, okay? Just for a little while! It will be fun.

It took a little more persuasion, but soon Ivan approached Francis, who taught some play from his country. Arthur snorted with the ease with which his European colleague could charm people and a twinge of envy hit his heart when he saw Ivan smile at the other blonde. That feeling was quickly put aside when Ivan pulled Arthur into the game too, insisting that he participate.

\- Come on, stashiy brat, play with us too. !

\- I… I don't... Francis is enough... - Arthur stammered, his face a little flushed, the blush increasing when Francis mocked him.

\- Arthur is too old for these things, Ivan. Besides, he's so surly that he shouldn't even know how to have fun!

Arthur had to restrain himself from starting an argument in front of Ivan and just to prove to the stupid frog that he was wrong, the Brit agreed to participate in the game. It wasn't like he didn't play with Ivan, quite the contrary and he took great pleasure in rubbing it in Francis' face, especially when it became clear that Ivan preferred him to the other blond.

They played for a long time, stopping around lunchtime, where Francis offered to make lunch, quickly pushing Arthur out of the pots when he saw what he intended to cook.

\- _Mon Dieu_ ; do you intend to serve your food to the poor boy?! Are you trying to kill him?! - Francis asked in shock.

\- Shut up, frog, Ivan likes my food and has been eating for months!

\- Well, for sure, after so long he must have created antibodies... But don't be afraid, mon ami, I will save this poor child. Today, I'm going to prepare lunch!

Although Arthur didn't want to, deep down fearing that Ivan would find his food horrible and no longer want to eat it, he had no alternative and, of course, Ivan loved French cuisine, devouring it like a hungry man.

\- Delicious! _Brat_ , it’s delicious!!

\- Yeah; delicious. - Arthur grunted, stuffing a mouthful into his mouth and ignoring the way Francis looked at them with the word the little Russian used for him. In fact, the food was delicious, as expected from France, but he would rather die than admit it. - Eat slower, Ivan, or you will choke!

\- Don't be modest, Artie, there's no shame in admitting that my food is good. - Francis provoked with an insolent smile, turning to Ivan with a bigger smile. - Tell me, little Ivan; which one of us cooks better? Be sincere.

\- Francis! - Arthur scolded him, earning only a chuckle from the other blond.

\- _Stashiy brat_! - Ivan replied without a doubt, freezing the two men for a moment, who looked at him as if Ivan were an alien.

\- _Pardon_?! Can you repeat, Ru-Ivan?

\- Say it in English, Ivan. Dear Francis, here, does not understand Russian! - The blond eyebrow shot a mocking smile at the older country.

\- Arthur! - The Russian exclaimed again, eating his food quietly, unaware of the situation before him. Again there was silence in the room, then, suddenly, Arthur started laughing and Francis despaired, leaving the little Russian confused.

\- Come on, Ivan, you don't have to lie just because Arthur is here... My food is the best, right?

\- Arthur! - Ivan repeated and Arthur burst out laughing, pointing at the shocked Frenchman.

\- THERE IS! Who's the best now, frog?!

\- Impossible! This is a lie! He clearly lost his taste with his toxic food! He certainly meant ‘Francis’ in Russian, because no one in their right mind would find his food good! I say that he must come with me; I will save you from having to grow up eating this horrible thing you call food!

\- Shut up, French idiot! My food is excellent! You're just jealous that you lost!

The two countries started shouting and arguing, each saying what they did best, until Ivan threw his spoon at Francis's head hard.

\- Bad! Do not fight! Bad! Bad! – He pouted, slapping his hands against the chair's counter and swinging his legs in agitation. Scolded, the two men looked at the little Russian with some shame and calmed down, apologizing superficially.

The rest of lunch went smoothly and after finishing eating Ivan started to feel sleepy, so Arthur put him to sleep, leaving Francis in the living room and returning twenty minutes later, finding the Frenchman reading a book calmly in his favorite chair.

\- You know this is my chair! - Arthur grunted, not really asking much, although the Frenchman's giggle irritated him.

\- Has the little one slept yet?

\- Yes. He woke up early today.

Humming to himself, Francis nodded, closing the book and leaving it on the chair as he got up.

\- I'm a little jealous, you know; it would be nice to have another little one to create, even though he is Russia. Don't you really want to leave him with me?! - Francis insisted with a hopeful smile that was promptly butchered by Arthur's furious gaze.

\- Go away!

Instead of being discouraged, Francis laughed, walking towards the door.

\- Well, I really believe it's time for me to go.

\- Do not come back anytime soon! I do not want to see you again before the next meeting!

\- No promises, _mon ami_. No promises! - Francis hummed before getting more serious. – But seriously, Arthur, are you sure you're going to be okay with him?" You know, just in case Rús-Ivan goes back to normal? And when do you intend to tell others?

\- Stop worrying, Francis! Of course I am sure! "The fairy queen herself confirmed it!" Nothing will change for a long time and I will take Ivan with me to the next meeting. I promised that he would meet his sisters and I know that if he remains hidden there could be a problem, especially from Alfred!

\- I hope you really know what you're doing, mon ami. Either way, it will be a fun meeting. Francis laughed, making Arthur roll his eyes. - I'll visit later to see little Ivan, Artie. _Adieu_!

Arthur wanted to shout for him not to come back, but he didn't want to wake Ivan with his shout, so he bit his tongue, grunting in annoyance. He closed the door, happy for the momentary silence and went to wash the dishes and clean the room, putting away the toys and the book that Francis had left on the sofa.

Arthur couldn't help thinking about how homely his life was today, acting like a father and he smiled, remembering to do that same routine centuries, decades ago. After saving everything, he spent a few hours devoting himself to mundane tasks, wondering what they would do later.


	3. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any language mistakes, I hope you enjoy it!

_Irmãos são nossos primeiros amigos de verdade e se mantêm ao nosso lado a vida toda. - Desconhecido._

* * *

\- Do you intend to call me every day now? - The Englishman sighed as he balanced the basket of clothes so he could bring the phone to his ear.

\- _What? You always complained that we didn't have enough contact; should be happy!_ – A soft voice, but with a recognizable accent, sneered on the other end of the line and Arthur barely contained his exasperated sigh.

\- Did **he** ask you to call me? - Arthur asked before checking the good weather that morning and returning to the laundry.

\- _Now you're being unfair to me. I call you at least once a month and you know it!_ \- The voice protested in a childish tone, which clearly indicated that he was hiding something.

\- I am surprised you did not call before. So, what do you want?

\- _Come on, don't talk like that, little brother. I'm just calling to see how you are doing! So…_

\- So... - Arthur teased, but when there was no answer on the other side, he sighed. - I am fine!

_\- Assurance? You tend to be too polite to refuse my invitations to hang out and it's been two months…_

\- I already said I am busy!

\- _Taking care of a baby for a friend. Yeah, I heard that before, but seriously, England, you could at least get your brother for one night, right?_ \- The voice grunted, starting to get irritated and Arthur closed his eyes, containing the desire to start an argument.

\- I don't see why you are making such a fuss; we have spent more time without seeing each other before!

\- _Look, I just..._ \- There was a series of mutters and muffled sounds on the other end of the line before his brother sighed, frustrated. - _I'm just calling because I want to know if you're okay! I heard around..._

\- You should not listen to what Alfred says! You know what he looks like! - Arthur interrupted, feeling a little guilty for having worried his brother.

_\- Yes, yes, but still. Are you really okay? You hiding and the Cossack disappearing doesn't help you much, you know?!_

\- Do I sound like someone in danger? - Arthur snorted, quickly calming himself when he heard his brother's grumbling. - But I guarantee you that I am fine. I am just busy for now, but if you ask so much, when I have time we can take a tour of your stupid stadiums or your ball, okay?

\- _Now I really worried about you, England. Is it really okay?_ \- His brother teased him, laughing playfully. Arthur could not resist the urge to roll his eyes, but returned the provocation with a friendly, caustic response. After a few more guarantees of his well-being, Arthur hung up, hoping it would take his brothers off their feet for a while.

At least it hadn't been Ireland calling him. He doubted that he could talk to the eldest without having a headache and feeling bad as he always did in almost all interactions that both had outside the commercial scope.

Quickly storing everything in the laundry room, the Englishman checked the hours and considered that it was late enough for a certain child to be on his feet. The house seemed distinctly quiet without Ivan's presence and Arthur found himself somewhat anxious to hear his little brother - and how that simple word left him all confused (in a good way) inside whenever he thought of it. The poor man was still struggling to accept that he was once again an older brother to someone.

\- Ivan? Wake up, breakfast time! - Arthur called him and muttering under his breath the little blonde stood up, rubbing his eyes and stumbling towards the bathroom after a little insistence. The Englishman helped him to take off his clothes and bathe quickly, helping to wake Ivan, who when he got out of the bathtub was more awake and agitated.

\- _Pitaniye. Pitaniye_! (Food)! - Ivan exclaimed with small jumps before running to the bed and rolling on it, laughing excitedly. It looked like someone was energetic that day and Arthur sighed, barely hiding the small smile that adorned his face.

\- _Brat_ , quick! - Ivan whimpered, standing on the bed and before Arthur could scold him for that the boy ended up losing his balance and fell to the side. The old empire did not even remember to shout, but in an instant he was beside Ivan, having heard the horrible crack and fearing the worst.

\- Ivan! Are you hurt?! It is all right?! - Asked the older blonde, terrified that Ivan might be hurt.

\- _D-da…_

Arthur was relieved that Ivan was fine, but knowing that the cradle's foot had broken did not help brighten his day, although he should have predicted that it would happen sooner or later. Ivan was too big and the only use of the crib - which for some reason was still in Arthur's room - since Ivan grew up to his current age was to serve as an improvised dresser for clothes and toys.

\- I'm sorry, _stashiy brat_. - Ivan sulked, with his head down and with a sigh and tender smile Arthur messed up his hair.

\- It is okay, love. You did not get hurt and that is what matters.

Ivan was still upset about having caused the small incident, staying calm throughout the change of clothes, despite the other nation's assurances that he was not upset with Ivan.

The little incident made him realize (more like admitting to himself) that Ivan was no longer the little baby who appeared on his sofa months ago. He was growing and getting bigger every day, if his eye didn't deceive him; Ivan had grown at least two inches since the past week. Too big for someone of his apparent age to still sleep with Arthur.

There were many rooms in his house, and one of them would certainly fit Ivan; he just needed to know how to say this to Ivan. The problem was that Ivan seemed so attached to him... It wouldn't be easy to convince Ivan to sleep in another room, he was sure of that and also, deep down, deep down, maybe Arthur didn't want that to happen, but the two couldn't continue sharing a room for a long time.

After breakfast was the best time, Arthur decided. Ivan would be full and satisfied and more likely to accept something he didn't like when hunger was satisfied. As he expected, Ivan did not take his suggestion very well that perhaps it was time for him to have his own room.

\- Are you sending me away?! - Ivan asked with a cry of dread, looking so terrified that it scared Arthur.

\- What? No, no, of course not! Where did you get that from? I will not send you away, just... To another room! - When Ivan still didn't seem to understand Arthur's intention, the blonde sighed and approached the little Russian, stroking his hair. - You will only change rooms, Ivan; if you want, it can be a room next to mine and you will not move there at once.

\- But why?! - Ivan whimpered.

\- Because you are growing up and big boys sleep alone! We cannot share the same room forever and the sooner you get used to sleeping alone, the better it will be in the future. - There was a long silence that left Arthur wondering if Ivan understood him and when he was about to call for the child, he sniffed, fat tears appearing in his eyes. - Ivan ?!

\- _S-Stashiy Brat... Stashiy Brat_ doesn't like me anymore? - Ivan asked. - Is it pu-pu because of the bed ?! I don't want to be without brat. _Potshalu’sta (please)_!

\- No, love, I already said that everything is fine about this; and you will not be without me. Let's do it like this: Let's choose a room for you and fix it up. You can choose the colors of the wallpaper and what you want to put on it and when you are comfortable sleeping alone, then you can use your new room, okay?

Ivan clearly didn't like the idea and wanted to cry, but he nodded obediently. It was what your brother wanted, wasn't it? He kept his head down, barely listening when Arthur assured him that it would not be so bad to have his own room and that eventually he would like to have his own space, allowing himself to be dragged down the corridor towards the room next to Arthur's. .

\- Come on, Ivan, do not be sad about this; I will be right next door and you will get used to it! - Arthur asked appeasingly, stroking the head of Ivan who immediately clung to him, sobbing.

\- But... _Starshiy Brat_ , I don't like being alone!

\- And it will not, I promise you! - Arthur guaranteed, placing a kiss on the boy's forehead.

Rubbing the tears from his face, Ivan looked at the older man for something, nodding slightly in agreement when he apparently found what he was looking for, which yielded a small satisfied smile from Arthur. With that partially resolved, the two nations began to examine the available rooms in the Briton's home.

There were several rooms, since that house used to be more crowded than it is today, all of them always clean and with standard decorations, suitable for guests who rarely showed up.

Choosing a room was not the most difficult, though. Ivan immediately pointed to what was next to the older nation, which was already expected by him. The room was a guest room, simple and without much furniture, as well as a wardrobe and a single bed with a small dresser on the side, the walls covered with an old green wallpaper.

It was a good room; spacious and airy, overlooking the green hills and part of the garden. It just needed a little more childish decoration and Ivan would love it, Arthur was sure of it.

The Englishman was sure to ask Ivan how he wanted his new room and to involve him in each step of the process and little by little the boy became excited, until he was fully involved in the decoration of his new room.

It was not a very radical change from the original design; Ivan had chosen a shade of purple and white for the walls and furniture, with the exception of the bed, would be replaced by those who were in Arthur's room today. I would need a bookcase and a basket for Ivan's toys, but nothing that would be too expensive. As someone used to manual work, Arthur preferred to do these little things himself, so in two weeks he painted the room himself, changed the furniture, nailed the boards to the wall to create an improvised bookcase and painted and decorated an old straw basket square to serve as a toy box for Ivan.

Ivan watched every handiwork Arthur did as if he were an artist creating his greatest work of art, delighted at how the older blond's hands seemed to masterfully cut, weave and decorate every inch of his room with someone's skill. who spent his life doing this.

\- You are amazing; _starshiy brat_ … - Ivan exclaimed with a mesmerized look at Arthur's hands, which cut some folded yellow sheets of paper before smiling broadly, making the older nation laugh.

\- Do you want to try to do too?

The suggestion was readily accepted and Arthur taught Ivan how to handle the scissors correctly, but in the end, there were several crooked paper stars hanging from the ceiling by rows of string with some planets and the moon, all rotating around the lamp in a pattern that vaguely resembled the solar system.

\- Is like it is the sun in the sky. A heaven just for you! - Arthur smiled at Ivan, watching the impressed expression on the boy's face. In the end, he considered his work and nodded, satisfied. - So what do you think? Do you want to sleep in your new room?

Although happy while helping Arthur decorate his new room, Ivan was clearly frightened by the possibility of being alone and clung to his brother, staring at him with big sad eyes.

\- Stay here with me? Pweease, just today! - He asked with fear in his voice, as if he feared the possibility of Arthur denying his request and despite the discouraged sigh, Arthur agreed, rubbing Ivan's head affectionately.

\- Okay, but tomorrow you will try to sleep alone, ok?

The boy nodded, gesturing for the older one to pick him up, which Arthur did without complaint and immediately Ivan wrapped his arms and legs around him as if he were a koala and Arthur a tree.

\- You are the best brother of all, Arthur! - Ivan exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his neck with a giant smile that made the Brit's heart warm.

\- Yes, yes, you too.

Arthur bathed and changed Ivan in his new room before taking him to the bed they shared, smiling when he saw that the pale blond was already sleeping in his arms. He was already so big… Ivan now had a new room for himself and despite knowing that this was the best for him, the Briton himself felt a little sad about this new change. He decided that he would make the most of that proximity while he could; who knew when Ivan would get tired of him?

That night Arthur slept with Ivan hugging him, wanting to enjoy what he thought would be one of the last times they would be that close.

Arthur considered that they were doing well. Little by little he was accustoming Ivan to sleep without him and after a week they were ready to sleep at last alone. Arthur realized that this process was as much for him as for Ivan and he was almost as anxious as the boy, but he did not show it, giving Ivan every possible guarantee that everything would be okay.

That day the two played as much as they could, intending to tire Ivan enough to make him sleep faster. After a day of running through the gardens and a light meal, the two nations were ready to fall asleep. Ivan didn't wait to lie down to sleep, barely standing up while Arthur changed him and kissed him good night, leaving the door open for the corridor light to illuminate the children's room.

Arthur congratulated himself on his success, going to sleep with a vague feeling of emptiness in his bed, but his success was short-lived, because in the middle of that night he was awakened by a terrible cry that made his heart leap from his chest. With his head still confused from having just woken up, it took Arthur a few seconds to realize that Ivan was screaming. 

As soon as he registered this fact in his head, Arthur jumped out of bed, curling up on the sheets and quickly ran to the other room, grateful to be literally beside him. Ivan squirmed and cried in bed, waving his arms with a frightened expression on his chubby face bathed in tears and his heart hurt by the sight, Arthur quickly caught him, having to restrain the boy when he started to struggle.

\- Ivan. Ivan! It is me; please love, open your eyes! - Arthur practically begged, fighting his own tears. What kind of nightmares was Ivan having to scream that much?

Startled, Ivan woke up thrashing in his brother's arms, taking some time to realize that he was safe and well, crying against Arthur's chest as he clung tightly to him, clearly terrified.

It took what seemed like an eternity for Ivan to calm down, sleeping in sobs and not caring about the tears and snot in his pajamas, Arthur took him to his room, clearly not wanting to leave Ivan alone after the terrible nightmare.

\- Shh, shhh, it is okay, love, calm down. I am here; it is all right! - Arthur assured him, stroking his back and hair until Ivan calmed down.

\- Why are they so mean to me, stashiy brat?

\- Who, Ivan? - Arthur insisted, starting to panic internally.

 _-_ The child with white hair and the one with the bow and arrow… They keep chasing me and hurting me… It hurts, brat! Make it stop! _Plokhiye deti (bad children) ..._

Compassionated by the child's pain, Arthur rubbed the areas where he complained of pain in the hope of calming him enough that Ivan could go back to sleep, without success.

 _\- Brat,_ tell a story? - Ivan asked timidly after several minutes awake, clinging to Arthur's side, or at least trying, with the stuffed animals getting in the way.

\- A story? - Arthur wanted to refuse, but a desolate look from the little Russian was very effective in getting him to accept the request. - What kind of story would you like?

\- With magic! - Ivan exclaimed happily before whimpering with the pain he felt in his body and Arthur carefully rubbed where the little Russian pointed, his fingers looking magical as he removed the pain, even if only a little.

Arthur thought about it; there were several stories with magic that he knew and could even invent some, so it was a kind of generic request, but just when he was about to ask Ivan to be more specific, an old story came to mind.

\- Okay, I'll tell you a story; it's a little big.

Ivan nodded and looked at Arthur expectantly.

_“A long time ago, a long time ago, there was a king who had three children, all of whom were adults. One day, the king called them and told them to shoot an arrow in the air and the woman who brought the arrow back would be their wives. The eldest son shot his arrow, and a prince's daughter brought it back. The middle son shot his arrow, and a general's daughter brought it back. But little prince Ivan's arrow was brought back from the swamp by a frog, which held it between its teeth. ”_

\- Ivan?! It's me!

\- Yes, it is you! - Arthur laughed, mainly with the frown that Ivan made next.

\- But I don't want to marry a frog!

\- Calm down, let's hear the whole story; _“His brothers were happy and happy, but Prince Ivan was sad and wept. He cried a lot, a lot, but there was no escaping him, so he took the frog as his wife. All three children and their brides were married according to the customs of the country; the frog was placed on a plate for the ceremony and they started living together. One day, the king asked all three brides to give him gifts made by them, in order to know which was the most skilled of the three. Prince Ivan was again very sad, and wept weeping:_

_\- What can my frog do? Everyone will laugh at me!_

_The frog just jumped on the ground and croaked. When Prince Ivan fell asleep, she went out into the street, threw off her skin and became a beautiful young woman… ”_

\- Wow, was she a woman?

\- Yes. A woman in disguise and when she removed her skin she shouted:

_“- Nannys, nannys! Do something!_

_The nannys immediately brought a shirt of very fine and delicate fabric. The girl took it, folded it and placed it next to Prince Ivan, and became a frog again as if it had never been anything else in life! Prince Ivan was overjoyed with the shirt and took it to the king and his shirt was the most beautiful of the three wives. The king then made another request to his daughters-in-law; this time, they were to bake a loaf of bread and bring it before him so he could know which one cooked better._

_Before the first contest, the women of the two eldest sons had ridiculed the frog. But now they've sent a maid to spy on her and see what she would do to bake her bread. The frog learned about this and mixed the ingredients, kneaded everything very well, emptied the oven from the top and put his bread inside. The maid saw this and ran to tell her ladies, who then did exactly the same. But the smart frog had deceived them; as soon as the maid left, she took the bread out of the oven, cleaned and tidied everything as if nothing had happened, and then went to the balcony, took off her frog skin and shouted:_

_\- Nannys, nannys! Bake me a bread so delicious as what my dear father-in-law eats only on Sundays and holidays!_

_The mistresses brought the bread immediately. The girl took it, placed it beside the sleeping Prince Ivan, and became a frog again. Prince Ivan woke up, took the bread and took it to his father. Just then the king was examining the bread brought by his eldest sons. His women had put their bread in the oven exactly as the frog had done, and all they managed to get out of it was a shapeless dough. Of the three loaves, only the one made by the frog was approved._

\- Bread ... - Ivan interrupted the story, his stomach rumbling at the mention of food.

\- You already ate, Ivan!

\- Ahwn...

_“After that, the king decided to give a ball to see which daughter-in-law danced better. All the guests and daughters-in-law met, and so did the princes, except Prince Ivan, who was sad: how could he go to the ball with a frog? And our prince started to cry. The frog comforted him and threw off his skin and put on a wonderful outfit. He arrived at the ball; Prince Ivan was delighted, and all the guests clapped his hands when he saw her: how beautiful! The guests began to eat and drink; the princess took a bone and tucked it into the sleeve of her dress; he drank from a cup and poured the last drops on the other sleeve. The older brothers' wives saw what she had done and also put bones in her sleeves and whenever they drank a glass of wine, they spilled the last drops on the other sleeve. The king called his older daughters-in-law, but they gave in to the frog._

_She immediately took Prince Ivan's arm and headed for the runway. He danced and danced, spun and spun, a marvel to behold! He waved his right hand and flowers and leaves appeared; he waved his left hand, and several birds began to fly across the room. Everyone was haunted. She finished dancing and everything she had created disappeared. Then the other daughters-in-law headed for the track. They wanted to do what the frog had done; they waved their right hand and the bones flew straight at the guests; and from his left sleeve, splashes of wine flew, which also reached the guests."_

\- Isn't the frog being mean? The others were not doing anything wrong!

\- Um, maybe, but they were being envious and envious people do not get along in the end.

_“When the ball ended, Prince Ivan went home first, found his wife's skin somewhere, took it and burned it. She arrived, looked for the skin, but it was gone, burned. She lay down to sleep with Prince Ivan, but, before dawn, she said:_

_\- If I had waited a little longer, I would have been yours. Now only God knows when we will be together again. Bye! Look for me beyond the most distant lands, in the last kingdom of the earth!_

_And the princess disappeared. ”_

\- Not! And now?

\- Hey, weren't you the one who said you didn't want to be married to a frog ?! - Arthur teased, earning a pout from the child.

_“A year went by, and Prince Ivan missed his wife. In the second year, he prepared for his trip, received the blessing of his father and mother and left. He walked for a long time, and suddenly he saw a cabin with its front facing the forest and the back for him. Inside there was an old woman who told him that his princess was about to marry another and that he should leave as soon as possible._

_Prince Ivan went out, arrived at his wife's house and found an old woman twisting a golden thread; he wrapped it around the distaff and put everything in a box, locked it and kept the key in a certain place. Ivan took the key, opened the box, took out the wheel, broke it and threw the top behind him and the bottom in front of him. Suddenly, his wife Elena stood before him and greeted him:_

_\- Oh, you took too long to come, Prince Ivan! I almost married another._

_And she told him that the other fiancé should be arriving soon. Elena, the Fairy, took a magic carpet with the old woman, sat on it with Prince Ivan and there they went flying like birds. The other fiance suddenly appeared and found out that they were gone. But he was also smart! He chased after them, chased and chased them, and came very close to catching up with them; but, on his rug, they flew to Russia, and he, for whatever reason, could not enter Russia and therefore did not return._

_The happy bride and groom arrived home; everyone was happy, and soon Ivan and Elena started to live together and prosper, for the glory of all the people. ”_

\- So, what did you think of the story? - When there was no answer, Arthur realized that Ivan had fallen asleep and with an affectionate smile he arranged him on the bed, kissing his forehead before settling himself to sleep too, refusing to leave Ivan after such a nightmare. They could try to sleep alone later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any idea who the brother might be talking to England on the phone?


	4. Mister Medved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy it and sorry for the mistakes.

Uma infância vivida em conjunto e uma amizade feita para toda vida. - Mundodasmensagens.com

* * *

The next few days were not very easy for the pair, but at least the nightmares were not so constant, thanks to the herbal teas and some branches placed under the pillows that seemed to be enough to, if not move away, at least ease the nightmares of Ivan. At that time Arthur wished he had retained more of his old knowledge in order to be able to do something more efficient for the poor boy, but at least they helped.

Arthur doubted that these dreams were normal; no child dreams of "white demons" and spears hurting him. He had some theories about the nature of these dreams and it frustrated him to see the innocent child suffering from a life that was no longer hers. More frustrated he was able to do so little more than offer comfort to the boy, but with the summer, maybe that could be resolved. Having to burn herbs every night in your room was starting to bother your nose.

Arthur was happy to look out the window and see the sun, its light softened by a gentle breeze that carried the scent of nature. Arthur loved summer. It was the hottest time of the year at home and the rains were not so constant; moreover, during the summer, something special happened in his garden. More specifically, in the front yard.

Ivan looked more excited that morning, running around the house and anxious to get out.

\- Arthur, look! - Ivan pointed out the window, his eyes wide and bright with excitement and following his gaze Arthur saw what had made him so euphoric: little creatures with black heads and pointed snouts that resembled sheep with six legs and six wings similar to those of a dragonflies floated over the front yard, most devouring the grass while others were just floating.

\- What are it? Can I get one? Can I have one of them? There's a lot there; just one, plwease! – Ivan begged with big puppy eyes that made Arthur laugh.

\- I am sorry, but you can not have one of them. They are wild and migratory creatures and would not survive long in one place! – Arthur explained and Ivan was so disappointed that it really made him feel bad. – But we can shear them!

\- Sshh… Shee… eir?!

\- Shear. They are woolen insects and their wool is the cutest and most pleasant there is; it gives a lot of money and is used for certain ... Differentiated processes. – That is, spells. – We will cut their wool and sell in the villages.

\- Shall we leave the house?! YEAH!! – Ivan was so excited that he even jumped around Arthur, ready to run out of the house before he was caught and lifted into the air.

\- Yes Yes. But first, let's put a sunscreen on you!

\- Eh?! But _brat_ ... – The little Russian groans in protest.

\- No "but", Ivan! You can get burned if you don't protect yourself! You're going to get an ouchie! – Arthur scolded him and Ivan's eyes widened, his arms wrapped around his little body protectively.

\- Not ouchie! Not ouchie!

\- Well, then be quiet! And it is not just because I am passing this on to you that you can stay in the sun all the time; stay in the shade of the tree as long as possible! If you are a good boy, I will let you choose what you want to eat tonight, okay?

\- OK! – Ivan agreed, more excited and Arthur snorted with fun. It was just talking about food to convince him to do almost anything.

Once Arthur finished passing the protector and Ivan was free he went running across the grass, surprising the woolen insects that moved away from him, looking for another spot in the grass to eat, just for Ivan to chase them away, the cycle repeating itself several times and several times.

The front garden was a less explored area compared to the back garden, since it didn’t have so many things for Ivan to enjoy, but it was quite spacious, about fifteen meters wide and seven in length cut by a trail. stone that divided it into four larger beds and a small central bed where a leafy tree cast a pleasant shade, the two beds at the front being nothing but green grass and the two beds closest to the house with bushes and small flowers.

Ivy grew on the small stone wall and its low size allowed to see the landscape that surrounded them: kilometers and kilometers of green fields, with some pastures in the distance and further afield, London.

Armed with special scissors and sitting in the shade of the tree, Arthur was shearing the woolen insects while Ivan chased them and at some point he started to be chased, the woolen insects huddling around him and caressing him, causing happy laughter.

The ringing of his phone coming from inside his house caught Arthur's attention and after recommending Ivan not to leave, he ran to answer it, muttering some insults, but when he recognized Nikau's voice, the Brit was happier.

\- England?

\- Nikau! Why are you calling? Did something happen?

\- Ah, it's nothing. I'm just calling to see how Russia is doing. I heard the rumors ... – The New Zealander's voice was clearly amused and Arthur mumbled some incomprehensible words. - I imagine America has seen him?

\- Almost that... He saw the room. – There was no need for further explanation, New Zealand knew what Arthur was saying. – As always, he left to hasty conclusions. Honestly, I do not know how he got like that...

Nikau laughed and the two engaged in a conversation about the playfully embarrassing situation until Arthur realized that he could no longer hear Ivan's voice.

\- One moment, Nikau. I am going to check on Ivan.

\- Ok.

Leaving the phone hanging, Arthur headed for the garden, calling for Ivan, receiving no answer. He called for Ivan again, beginning to be concerned when once again only silence was heard. The boy wouldn't have gone on the road, would he?

Arthur quickly ran to the gate, ready to scold the boy if he was running down the road, even though few cars passed by, but when he saw Ivan lying on the ground with one of the woolen insects on him Arthur was a little confused, if asking if he would have slept, even though it was strange that he slept in the middle of the garden. It was only when he recognized the white head with two wings just above his eyes that he realized what had happened and his heart raced.

\- Ivan!

Running to the fallen boy, Arthur summoned a fireball and shot it at the insect, which easily dodged it, following its trail. Arthur practically skidded to the side of the body covered with a thin layer of ice. Ivan was pale, paler than usual, his blue lips and lashes covered with small snowflakes; he was completely still and panic and horror overtook Arthur when he imagined that Ivan had somehow died.

\- Ivan! No no no no no. NO!

Taking Ivan in his arms Arthur ran into the house, climbing the stairs to his room so fast that it was surprising that he did not fall. Arthur wrapped Ivan in all the sheets and blankets he found after discarding his frozen clothes and rubbing his body as much as possible to warm him up again.

The relief he felt at seeing Ivan's eyes contract was so great that Arthur almost wept. Still, two tears streamed down his face and his hands shook when he cupped the little Russian's face, rubbing his cheeks carefully until they were slightly pink from the heat.

\- Thank God. Thank God! - He murmured in relief, feeling he had been a few years older after that, but he didn't care, too happy to know that Ivan was fine.

* * *

Ivan woke up surrounded by the heat. It was so much that it was suffocating, but at the same time it was very pleasant and he snuggled into that heat with a sigh of satisfaction, ready to go back to sleep.

\- Ivan? Do not sleep now, little one. – Arthur moved away from Ivan, who despite moaning in protest, did not move, ready to sleep again. Unfortunately, his intentions were thwarted when Arthur moved him, forcing him to swallow something warm and pleasant that he drank without worrying about opening his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

When Ivan woke up again it was dawn and sunlight came in through the open window, allowing the gentle breeze to cool the room. Although it was a hot day, he felt cold, especially on the tips of his fingers and toes and on his chest.

As if sensing his discomfort Arthur came into the room, carrying a tray with a teapot, a small bottle with a greenish liquid and a cup, and when he saw Ivan awake the older blonde smiled.

\- Ivan! Glad you woke up; I was getting worried!

\- Arthur... I'm cold. And hot! – Ivan groaned, a little confused and annoyed by the conflicting climatic sensations.

\- I know love. Here, tea and medicine will help you. – Arthur forced a spoonful of medicine into the boy's mouth before pouring a cup of tea to Ivan, who felt a little relief when his fingers came into contact with the hot cup, the heat taking some of the numbness from his fingers and the taste of the liquid helping to clear the taste of the medicine. - Ivan, do you remember what happened?

\- I was playing it the little pets. One of them jumped on me and was fluff, but cold. Bad animal?

\- No. – Arthur laughed a little at the child's naivete. – That was an insect from the cold; they steal heat from living things. They are not bad, it is just their nature, but that is exactly why they are dangerous; if I had taken a little longer I would probably have to take him to the hospital; you could have caught hypothermia, Ivan! I know I did not warn you, but you must have noticed the signs of freezing when the cold insect touched you ... Why did you not push it away?

\- _Opavidany (opravidaniye - sorry)._ I didn't notice! – Ivan bowed his head in guilt, really feeling guilty and Arthur was sorry. He imagined that the cold would not bother Russia and that is why he did not push the insect away until it was too late. That and the fact that Ivan was a child who didn't know how to deal with the creature.

\- It was not your fault, dear, but I am afraid you will not be able to go to the villages with me; I can't wait to sell the wool, so I'm going to ask Nikau to stay with you…

\- Nyet! - Ivan almost threw himself on Arthur and just didn't do it because he was still holding the hot cup. - Please, big bro, take me with you!

Arthur wanted to say no, not wanting to risk the boy's health, but when he looked into his eyes he realized that he could not deny his request. He was so adorable that it made him feel a little guilty for denying him something and Arthur was always weak with children, no matter how much he denied it.

\- Not! I am sorry, Ivan, but until you get better you won't be leaving the house; I cannot risk making you sick! - Arthur spoke firmly, trying not to give in when he saw the Russian's crying expression. Fortunately, Ivan gave in, hiding under the sheets with a little whimper. - Do not worry, love, when you get better, we will leave. I promise!

Ivan muttered something incomprehensible, refusing to look at Arthur, who with a sigh left the room, leaving the boy alone. It was not fair, Ivan thought to himself, that something like this happened to him just when he had the opportunity to leave the house. Of course he liked his home, but once his curiosity was piqued he wanted to leave.

Upset, Ivan sniffed, pulling his scarf over his face to keep warm, looking around the room sadly before he saw the sun coming in through the window and then an idea came to his mind. Perhaps, if he stayed in the sun, Ivan could warm up faster and so he could accompany Arthur before he left. Smiling at the clever idea he had, Ivan slid out of bed, stumbling a bit over his scarf before wrapping it around his neck and reaching the window without incident.

Ivan smiled as he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin and leaned over the window, looking out over the side garden from where he could see some clothes hanging from the clotheslines and the landscape that stretched ahead. It was so pleasant all that sun and the green of the English countryside that Ivan felt he could stay there forever. That question quickly escaped his head when he saw a green creature floating before him. In midair. Ivan blinked repeatedly, a little confused, especially when the little creature twitched its snout, little wings on its back flapping.

\- Oh! A flying bush! - Ivan exclaimed, smiling widely, recovering very quickly from his surprise. - Hello Mr. Bush, I'm Ivan! Are you one of my Stashiy brat's friends?

\- I'm not a bush. I'm a rabbit! - Flying Mint Bunny replied calmly, floating to Ivan, who held her with admiration, especially when he saw how cute she was. - And I'm Flying Mint Bunny.

\- Rea’ly? Brat has nice friends; do you want to be my friend too? Can I call you Bunny? Your name is too big! Mine is Ivan!

\- It's all right. - Flying Mint Bunny agreed, making Ivan laugh and raise the rabbit in the air before holding it in his arms, making it squeak. - Tight…

\- Sowry. Did it hurt? – Ivan was relieved when the little creature denied it and more carefully he began to caress Flying Mint Bunny, earning a sigh of satisfaction from the little creature, which once again wrinkled its nose.

\- What are you doing inside the room on a sunny day? Is grounded?!

\- I'm cold! An… Hum… an insect! Yes, a cold insect stole all my heat, so brat doesn't want me to leave the room.

\- Ah, he's only worried about you, Ivan. Arthur also took time to learn how to deal with insects from the cold. Don't worry, you'll be fine again soon! – Flying Mint Bunny assured him, twitching his snout and Ivan laughed with the gesture, trying to imitate him too, without success, which only made him laugh a little more.

The two of them stayed there, sitting under the window for hours, talking about random things, like where Flying Mint Bunny came from, how old she was, what her home was like, if Ivan was liking her home...

At some point Arthur entered the room to check on Ivan and smiled when he saw the two talking. The boy pouted when the green creature had to go, promising that he would be back soon so they could play together.

\- Did you have fun with Flying Mint Bunny? – Arthur asked him while putting Ivan to sleep, to which he happily nodded.

\- She's **green**! – Asid the child emphatically, as if Arthur had not noticed this detail.

\- Yes she is. – Arthur agreed, laughing. He had to hear Ivan say everything he knew about Flying Mint Bunny, things he already knew, but the conversation helped to distract Ivan enough until he fell asleep.

Arthur watched him sleep for long minutes, until he was sure he was sound asleep before, as quietly as possible, got out of bed and went down towards a small room that looked very much like a studio. There Arthur kept all his embroidery instruments and other sewing objects.

Sitting in a comfortable armchair next to the window where he could have a view of the countryside, Arthur spent late into the night working on sewing, a basket full of snow-white wool at his feet.

* * *

It took some time to convince Ivan to sleep alone again. Arthur could understand his fear and Arthur himself was just as reluctant as Ivan himself to walk away from him, but with his nightmares reduced to two nights a week - three at most - Arthur thought it was time to try again.

\- What do you say about sleeping in your room today, Ivan?

\- With you, _stashiy brat_? – Ivan asked with a hopeful look, but he quickly wilted with the apologetic look that the older blond gave him, his little hands closing in fear.

\- Hey, do not cry, love. You will not be alone. - Arthur calmed him, pulling Ivan onto his lap and the boy looked at him with some confusion. Arthur gave him a knowing smile, going up to Ivan's room. – Close your eyes, little one. It is surprise.

It took Ivan a few moments to obey, placing his face on the curve of Arthur's neck, closing his eyes expectantly. He opened his eyes quickly and grabbed Arthur's neck when he felt him move away from him, but Arthur quickly calmed him down.

\- It's okay, love, I'm here.

Ivan whimpered, but did not fight when Arthur put him to bed and before he could protest or open his eyes, Ivan felt something being placed on his lap. It was cute and soft and when Arthur gave him permission to open his eyes he opened them with surprise and wonder.

He was a teddy bear, almost as big as Ivan himself, with brown fur, big button eyes and wearing a red T-shirt, with blue shorts and a white scarf. The colors of the Russian flag. The small nation watched the teddy bear for a while before hugging him tightly, even more enchanted by the softness of the teddy.

\- Did you like it? I did it with some wool from the woolen insects; you can sleep with your new friend. It will keep you safe!

\- Will even? – Ivan asked with fear and Arthur confirmed. In a way it was not a lie. Arthur had woven some charms on the bear's body and clothes to ensure Ivan's protection, and while it didn't mean to be one hundred percent effective, he was going to do his trick more efficiently than the burnt teas and herbs.

\- Of course. When did I lie to you? – With a happy smile Ivan hugged the teddy and refused to let go of it even to put on his pajamas, the new toy serving to distract Ivan from the fact that he would sleep alone for the first time. – Do you have a name for him, Ivan?

Ivan stops the toy in contemplation before smiling and squeezing it in his arms, exclaiming a cheerful _“Mister Medved_ ” at the same time that he stuffed the teddy bear in Arthur's face, who after recovering the surprise laughed, stroking Ivan's platinum hair .

\- A good name, Ivan. _Mister Medved_ … - Arthur laughed at the child's creativity. Mr. Bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Insects of Wool and Cold are, like Titânia, taken from the anime Mahoutsukai no Yome, an anime with everything I love involving magic and that takes place in England, of all places (and other countries too).  
> This chapter came out after a lot of rewriting and I hope it turned out well.


	5. 4th of July

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any language error and enjoy. The next chapter will take a little longer.

_Uma família feliz é aquela que está sempre junta, independentemente da distância! - frasesparaface_

* * *

Arthur woke up that day feeling the familiar weight he felt every year for the last three hundred years of his existence, his heart heaving painfully and all he wanted to do was stay in his bed, perhaps in the company of a bottle or two of alcohol. Unfortunately, he couldn't, not when he had a child to look after.

\- Arthur? Is hurting?! – Ivan asked with concern, touching Arthur's face.

\- Ah, good morning Ivan. Are you hungry yet? – Arthur gave a watery smile to the Russian who nodded, holding Mister Medved in his arms with concern. – Okay, let's put something in that belly then, huh?

The phrase was a pathetic attempt by Arthur to be funny, but neither of them laughed and Ivan followed Arthur with concern, noting how his steps seemed dragged and his shoulders were hunched, very different from the usual upright posture of the Brit.

The Russian nation tried to engage Arthur in conversation, but the responses were short and without enthusiasm and he even burned the food, seeming not even to notice it; Ivan felt that he was failing with his older brother, the inability to understand what was happening to the other blonde making him equally sad. Arthur barely touched his own food, gently avoiding Ivan's attempts to feed him.

\- Love, I have important business to do now and you cannot stay in the room with me; can you be a good boy and stay here? – v an looked at him with apprehension, pressing Mister Medved against his chest and Arthur knelt before him, caressing his face. - Don't worry, love, I won't go anywhere! I'll be upstairs.

-… _Okey_ (ok)…

\- You are a good boy.

Arthur kissed Ivan's forehead and made sure he was comfortable in the room before going up to his office. He made sure and locked the front door, but he wasn't too concerned about a possible invasion and he knew that Ivan would not leave the house, so the old empire went up to the office and closed in there. Once alone he walked over to the table and threw himself into the chair, taking out an old photo of him in real clothes from one of the drawers with his two American colonies, Alfred and Matthew at his side.

In the photo - in fact, an old painting - he had a small, kinder smile, somewhat similar to that of the Canadian, while Alfred had the widest smile a child could have. The image made Arthur smile painfully, conflicting feelings eating at his chest. He was proud of everything Alfred achieved, there was no doubt about it, but the revolution and the consequent separation was always a painful point in his history, more for Arthur than for England itself, but still painful.

He walked over to one of his cabinets and took out a special bottle that he left just for that occasion: a bottle of Batemans Victory Ale.

* * *

At the foot of the stairs, Ivan looked up, expecting to see Arthur appear with a happy smile, asking him what he wanted and maybe reading him a little bit of the illustration book, but it didn't, even when Ivan waited for hours and hours , clinging to his teddy bear. Head down, Ivan walked away towards the garden, thinking about how he could cheer his brother up without involving food, since he couldn't move in the kitchen without his eldest.

" _Stashiy brat_ is upset and I can't do anything..."

\- Hi, Ivan. - Flying Mint Bunny called him, flying up to him and landing on his head. - What's it? You look sad; are you hungry?

Ivan denied, barely shaking his head due to its occupant.

\- Arthur is sad. I want Arthur to smile, but I don't know what to do. Is it my fault?

\- Ah. Of course not, Ivan, you have done nothing wrong; he always gets sad that day and doesn't talk to anyone, so we usually stay away. Tomorrow he will be better!

\- Tomorrow?! – Ivan was not at all pleased with that, but giving the house a worried look he squeezed Mr. Bear and resigned himself to seeing his brother sad all day. This made him feel helpless, although Ivan didn’t know how to recognize the feeling, only that he wanted him to leave and his brother was smiling again. – But why is he sad? I dont understand…

\- This is something he will have to say on his own; until then, why don't we do something to cheer you up?

Flying Mint Bunny's proposal was received with joy and Ivan quickly nodded, following the little creature through the garden to one of the most flowery beds in the garden.

\- What are we doing here? – Ivan asked curiously, looking around without seeing any of the usual visitors, just a few butterflies and one or the other more daring bird. Normal visitors to the English garden.

\- Arthur likes flowers. I'll teach you how to make a wreath. He will definitely be very happy if you give him one! First of all, choose the flowers you want.

Shining with excitement, Ivan more than quickly left on his mission, wondering which flowers Arthur would most like. He wanted the most beautiful ones that would make his brother happier.

\- Ivan? Lunch time; what would you like to eat today? – Arthur asked in a discouraged voice, although he tried to disguise as much as possible.

He didn't want to upset Ivan with his problems and was already feeling a little guilty about leaving the child alone all morning. It was a surprise to see that Ivan hadn't come to him all morning, probably amused by his pranks or even with his magical friends and to imagine that the little Russian was becoming more independent of him made him a little more depressed.

\- Ivan? - Receiving no answer, Arthur frowned and looked around the room, his thick eyebrows twitching even more when he didn't see the boy there. - Ivan?

Hoping that he wasn't getting ready in the kitchen like the last time, Arthur turned and crossed the short space between the rooms, but he also did not find Ivan and the worry has started to increase. Had Ivan felt neglected and run away from home? He was probably overreacting, but still… Arthur left him alone all day.

\- Ivan!

\- _Stashiy brat_! – Ivan's voice came from outside and with immense relief, Arthur ran to the garden, seeing the boy in one of the beds, hiding behind some bushes with a wide smile on his face. – Bunny helped me make a gift for you, Stashiy brat! – The boy laughed, which brought a small smile to Arthur's face, his right eyebrow raised in curiosity.

\- Really? What is?

Suddenly, something fell on his head and slid over his eyes, making him cringe in surprise before realizing that it was not an attack and he carefully touched what Arthur soon recognized to be a wreath. He looked at the beautiful flowers that were woven in a somewhat poorly made circle and he had to contain the sigh of desolation when he saw his flowers well cared for. It wasn't as if Ivan had done it out of spite and the idea was most likely Flying Mint Bunny.

\- Did you like it? Ivan worked on it for hours. – The little winged creature warned, seeming to look at the nation in the depths of his eyes dangerously and a look at the boy in front of him dissuaded any complaints from the Englishman.

\- That's very kind of you, Ivan. It must not have been easy.

Ivan confirmed, grabbing the hem of his shirt, and looking down for a moment before smiling at Arthur.

\- But I wanted to see _Stashiy brat_ happy, so it doesn't matter! – He said with conviction, warming the heart of the Briton, who held the wreath with a little more strength, not caring when Flying Mint Bunny landed on his head. - I don't want Arthur sad; Stashiy brat always makes me happy, so I should always smile too!

\- Oh, you are so kind, Ivan. Thank you!

\- _Stashiy brat_! Why are you crying? Didn't like it?! Is it because I took the flowers without asking? _Izvinite (sorry)_! – Ivan asked, despairing to see the tears of Arthur, who tried to wipe them as soon as possible, Flying Mint Bunny patting one of his paws affectionately on his head.

\- No, no, I love it! It's just… I'm sorry, Ivan, I shouldn't be doing this, forcing you to do this kind of thing; I am a horrible brother!

\- Nyet! Arthur is the best brother in aaallll the world! - Ivan refuted with conviction, jumping on Arthur who barely managed to balance and hugging him tightly. Maybe a little more force than necessary, but Arthur didn't care. – Why are you sad, _Stashiy brat_?

Sighing, Arthur decided that perhaps he should tell the little one the reason for his sadness. He didn't want to talk about it, but he thought it wasn't fair to worry Ivan like that. Picking up the child and placing the wreath on his head, Arthur returned home, smiling a little at Ivan's protests about the crown not being for him.

* * *

Arthur took them to his office and took out an old photo album that was separated from the rest of the books by two plaster bookends depicting peasant children and he opened it on the table, arranging Ivan on his lap.

The small laugh blinked in confusion as he saw several faces staring at him through hand-painted photos and portraits that were not original, but copies of portraits that Arthur had kept out of his eyes and heart in his basement.

\- Who are they, _Stashiy brat_?

\- These are... My family, I think. - Arthur replied with a deep note of longing in his voice. – See, this is Hong Kong, these two together in this other photo are New Zealand and Australia. There are still Barbados and Bermuda and Malvinas; they are amazing and I think you would like to meet them. They used to be my little brothers!

\- Used to?! – Ivan grabbed Arthur's shirt tightly, not liking what he heard.

\- They wanted to leave. I get along with most of them, like Hong Kong and New Zealand and we are even part of a group called the Commonwealth and it's nice to see that they can take care of themselves now, but sometimes I miss having them around, they no longer see me as their older brother, I think.

\- What not? Family isn't it forever?! – Ivan asked almost in shock, holding Arthur tighter. He didn't quite understand what Arthur was saying, but did that mean they might not be brothers anymore? The thought startled him and the affection in his head did little to comfort him.

\- Not in our case; family are made and undone very easily. I'll explain it to you in the future, but it's complicated for people like you and me! Family, for us, often means pain and problems.

\- But I love you, Stashiy brat! I would never hurt you and I know you wouldn't do that to me! - Ivan protested, shaking Mister Medved. Is it because of them that you are sad, _Stashiy brat?_ Because did they leave?!

\- No, not for them. At least, not the ones I told you about... I let them go; I had to leave them because of… - Sighing, Arthur turned a few pages of the album and stopped at one that showed him and a small America together, smiling happily at the camera, Alfred's smile bigger than Arthur's. – This is Alfred; he was also my younger brother. Remember that man who came here the other day? We both fought over who Alfred's brother would be… - Arthur let out a sound through his nose that was a kind of watery laugh. – In the end, Alfred chose me and I was so happy... I had no much to offer him, I was chosen and we lived together here for a while before I had to leave him alone. Maybe that was my mistake... If I had spent more time with Alfred, maybe he wouldn't have grown so fast and separated from me!

Ivan huddled against Arthur's chest, looking at Alfred's smiling face in anger. Why wouldn't anyone want to be Arthur's brother anymore? He was the best! The most affectionate, kind and caring brother anyone could ever want.

\- He separated from me on the Fourth of July, which is today. We had a long fight, but in the end I lost. We still talked to each other, but he grew up so much, became his own person, with his own culture and power; he doesn't need an old and broken empire like me!

Once again Flying Mint Bunny patted Arthur's head with a little paw, as if telling him that everything was fine, but that did little to help the Brit, who was almost frightened, having forgotten about the little creature over his head.

\- I think I was not a good brother; because, if I were, they would have stayed, wouldn't they? Alfred wouldn't have fought me, would he? And he went and the others went together. Sometimes... Sometimes I just want to blame him for everything! – Arthur sniffed, quickly wiping away his tears.

\- You are the best brother there exist, _brat_! – Ivan declared with a serious expression, surprising the old nation. – You take care of me, tell me stories and always make me feel better when I'm sick! I love you, _Stashiy brat_ and I will never leave you! I will always be your brother and love you soooo much!

Arthur looked admiringly at the child in his lap, not expecting those words and a sad smile adorned his face, his eyes dulled by a mixture of emotions that simmered in his chest, hope wanting to dominate him, but the fear of repeating his same Alfred story stifling that hope. This, however, did not prevent him from embracing Ivan, somewhat comforted by childlike innocence.

\- How nice. Because I will always be your big brother!

\- Ivan, tell them about the flowers. – Flying Mint Bunny spoke suddenly, reminding both that she was there and Arthur flinched a little in surprise.

\- Hey, how long will you stay there? Get out of my head! And what about the flowers ?!

\- Ah! I remembered what you taught me about flowers, Starshiy brat. See, see: I used hydrangeas to show gratitude and there is Elio… Elotopo… Helitopo…

\- Heliotrope. – Arthur helped him, smiling fondly and Ivan nodded.

\- That! It means devotion! I wanted to add more, but Bunny said that ex… Exage… Too much would be ugly and that I could do more later!

\- She was a good teacher, huh? Thank you, Bunny. – Arthur smiled, stroking the bunny's head, Ivan thanking him too and the little creature seemed to blush under his green fur, hiding his face a little in Arthur's hair. The moment was interrupted by the sound of Ivan's stomach and it reminded Arthur why he went after the boy in the first place. - Why don't you tell me how you learned to make such a beautiful crown while I make lunch, huh? What do you want today?

\- Potato pancakes and fish with potatoes!

\- Two? Don't you think it's too much?

\- Pleeeaase, _brat_! - Ivan begged with big eyes and Arthur couldn't resist, giving in to the boy's wishes very easily.

\- You're too soft, Arthur. – Flying Mint Bunny commented, earning a gentle pat on the left ear.

No longer wanting to upset Ivan with his sadness, Arthur struggled to forget that it was the Fourth of July, spending the rest of the afternoon playing with him and it was tender how much the little Russian struggled to bring a cheerful smile to his face, casting nervous looks to the older one when he thought Arthur wasn't looking and smiling brightly when Arthur smiled.

The British nation's heart still hurt; centuries of suffering didn't pass from one moment to the next, but as he watched Ivan - Russia - so sweet and innocent trying to cheer him up, Arthur wondered if it was time to start leaving the past behind. He didn't need to abandon all the memories of his former colonies, the same memories that both cheered him up and caused him pain, nor did he need to replace them, but Arthur figured it was time to look to the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think England is as depressed as we imagined on the 4th of July, just get drunk and lose the line a little, but so far it's not a big deal. From what I saw, over time things settled between them quietly, but for this story I wanted a little drama!  
> Anyway, I believe that this chapter ended in a good way.


	6. Cultural Knowledge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art, like this series and any other art used for this series, are not mine. Sorry for possible language mistakes.

_Eu sei o que é o amor porque tenho meu irmão na minha vida - Desconhecido._

* * *

\- _Brat_ , what is Russia? - Ivan asked one day, looking confused and a little upset as he looked at the open book on the living room floor and Arthur, although he knew that was expected, was still taken by surprise.

\- Russia is a country. - He replied after regaining his cool, turning his attention to the embroidery in his hands, a lovely rabbit surrounded by carrots taking shape on the cloth.

\- A county?

\- Country and yes! It is a large area of land that is governed by a type of government. England, for example, is a country governed by a constitutional monarchy! - Arthur tried to simplify in the best possible way, although by Ivan's expression he was not very successful.

\- How is Russia?

\- Ah... Well, I never really visited the country besides some cities and it was for business, so I did not see much, but... It is big, cold; winters are harsh and they have their own language, as well as many natural resources!

\- Is it beautiful there as it is here?

\- I think so... Russia is a cold country, but I don't know how it is there, because I have visited the country a few times ... I imagine it has warm places too and many beautiful ones. The capital, Moscow, is very beautiful, for example! I heard that there are many gardens in Russia! - Arthur replied, seeing the wonder appear in the child's eyes.

They talked for several minutes about the Eurasian country, the child full of so many questions that Arthur barely had time to answer a question before the next question was being asked, but at least it seemed that Ivan was better.

What was the country like? It was good? Was it cold or hot? Did they speak English too? Did it rain in Russia as much as in England? Arthur tried to explain everything as much as possible, avoiding certain parts.

Arthur opened his cell phone to show an image of the terrestrial globe and Ivan was impressed with the size of the country that occupied two continents. Ivan made a sound of astonishment, staring at the image of Russia with a stare before he looked uncomfortable. The look passed quickly, however, and when Arthur asked what was bothering him, Ivan answered with just a shake of his head, smiling at him in a way that should be reassuring and hugged Arthur, turning his attention to the book, as if they had never had that conversation.

If Ivan had forgotten the matter, even for a moment, the same could not be said of Arthur. He knew that he would have to tell Ivan the truth sooner or later and he was happy that Ivan was so interested in himself, already having even thought of ways to increase this little Russian's interest in the nation itself, but the question It was like?

Arthur himself knew very little about Russian and could not educate the nation in its customs and feared that Ivan would end up greatly influenced by his culture. There was little in the current childhood of the small nation that was not English and Titânia's words always came back to bother him at that moment.

_“He is now a baby, with no memories of who he was, what he has already done or who he has known; is a blank sheet, ready to write a new story for you! It will be as if the Russia you met never existed before! ”_

While their colonies managed to develop and create their own identity, they had not gone back in age and who knows how it would work now. For all he knew, this could cause irreversible damage to the country's culture and when Russia returned to normal he would have more problems to deal with.

No, Arthur needed to give Ivan the childhood he would have in his home country. He just ... I didn't know how. Maybe he could make some toys? The idea of making new toys attracted and excited him, so Arthur carved a small wooden horse for Ivan. It was no big deal, just a simple horse that fit in the palm of his hand, but Ivan was immensely happy with the gift.

\- Thank you _, stashiy brat_! You are the best! – He smiled widely, hugging Arthur's legs, who felt uncomfortable, the heat in his chest blooming almost painfully.

Ivan ran away somewhere in the house, his giggles being heard from time to time, not being seen until Arthur called him for lunch. Ivan's hurried steps echoed through the house, which surprised Arthur, having never heard the little boy so agitated.

\- Ivan, do not run around the house, you could get hurt! - Arthur scolded him lightly, raising an eyebrow at the animation of Ivan, who was even jumping on the floor, his hands hidden behind his back and a wide smile on the small, ink-stained face, which were also present on his clothes.

Arthur felt a certain anguish at the stains on the basically new clothing, but he swallowed the protest in favor of paying attention to the boy.

\- _Stashiy brat, stashiy brat, stashiy brat_!!

\- Ok, calm, calm, love, what is it?

Instead of answering, Ivan raised his hands, showing the little wooden horse Arthur handed him that morning, painted white, with brown manes and dark eyes, as well as several stains on his body, clearly from his paint-stained fingers.

This impressed Arthur so much that, for a moment, he ended up not asking where and how Ivan had gotten paint - and it was better if it weren't for his paints or Arthur would be particularly upset - that he picked up the horse carefully, the paint still fresh under his eyes. fingers and examined it carefully. Although it was painted by a child, it was quite a well-done painting.

\- Wow, did you do it yourself? Arthur asked, impressed, especially when Ivan nodded.

\- Did you like it, _stashiy brat_?!

\- You know I did it for you, do not you? Arthur laughed, stroking the child's platinum hair. - But thanks, sweetie. I found it very beautiful. I didn't know you had that gift!

The compliment made Ivan blush and smile silly but happy, clearly ecstatic at the words of his older brother, insisting that Arthur keep the toy.

Looking at the little horse placed on the head of his bed that night, Arthur had an idea of what could help Ivan to get closer to his culture. He just needed to make a call or two.

* * *

\- Is that ink? - Ivan asked curiously, looking at the package that Arthur had in his hands.

\- Ink for crafts! You did very well with that horse, so I thought you would like to paint more. I made some sculptures for you! – Arthur explained, trying to forget about the mess with the paints Ivan found in his junk store.

He had to change the lock on that place or next time Ivan might find some of his tools more cutting and God only knows what the boy's curiosity would cost him. Arthur was also sure that some elves and fairies were involved in this mischief and kept a sharp eye on them for a few days after that.

Ivan's rapt gaze was a great reward for Arthur and he let the child go to the garden gazebo, where he could make whatever mess he wanted. The island nation later rebuked itself for failing to notice Ivan's artistic streak.

Stopping to think, I shouldn't surprise you. Russia was a vast and artistic country, from the little he saw on visits to the country. From architecture to ceramics, Arthur was beginning to realize how beautiful Russia was.

Resuming his embroidery, Arthur paused for a moment, wondering what it would be like when everything went back to normal. He once heard from the Baltics that Russia was very good at knitting; could they sit together and talk about it?

That question stayed inside him for hours, his hands working almost automatically and so he was quite surprised to hear his feet stomping on the wood.

\- _Stashiy brat_! - Ivan shouted, approaching Arthur with several little fairies around him.

\- Ivan, you really need to stop running before you get hurt! – Arthur scolded him gently but firmly.

\- _Op'avidaniye_. - Ivan pouted.

\- Oh, come on, Arthur, don't be such a treat. – Blusky scolded him, flying around him. There was a particularly visible patch of red on their wings and the same spots could be seen on some of the other fairies. A neigh from the garden made him imagine that some unicorn was possibly involved in the mess and he could only hope that Ivan hadn't wasted ink on some mischief.

\- Yes, yes, he prepared something special for you! – Pinky waved her wings, making Arthur very curious.

Ivan timidly handed Arthur his work. It was a rooster that Arthur had carved and that was now beautifully painted. The crest and tail were painted red, the beak and feet were bright yellow and there were flowers drawn on the cock's tail. There were many flaws in the painting, but at the same time it was of a far superior quality than any child and it was obvious that it had much more of the boy's Russian personality than any British features.

\- This is beautiful, love, you certainly have talent! – Arthur praised him, making Ivan laugh silly.

\- _Stashiy brat_ deserves the best! – He exclaimed with certainty of the world, hugging Arthur's legs tightly and it took a little effort on the elder's part not to cry.

\- Awn, Artie, don't cry! – Blusky spun around Arthur with a tissue in his hands.

\- I'm not crying. - Arthur snorted, accepting the handkerchief, sniffing quickly while drying the tears quickly, ignoring the provocations. Ivan pulled on his pants and he quickly wiped away the tears and stared at him, blinking in confusion at the invitation made next.

\- Shall we paint together?

\- Well, why not? – Arthur agreed after a few moments, letting Ivan drag him to the gazebo, talking all the way about how fun it would be for them to paint together and he seemed to really enjoy having to teach Arthur the “right way” to paint himself.

Seeing how happy Ivan was at being able to do something that brought him closer to his culture, Arthur considered that he had made the right decision by giving him three books that taught Russian to Ivan.

At first, Ivan was a little confused, not knowing what those strange symbols meant, but he didn't stop him from dedicating himself strongly to them. Soon, the house was constantly filled with the child's chant of loose Russian words trying to form complete sentences.

At first Arthur even tried to help with his studies, but he himself did not understand much of the language and it turned out that he was taught more than he taught. Even Arthur's little friends seemed to understand Ivan's native language better than British, who was a little annoyed that he wasn't much help.

\- Don't worry _, stashiy brat_ , I'll teach you everything! When we finish we will be the best in Russian! – Ivan assured with enthusiasm.

\- The best?! – Arthur smiled, finding the boy's enthusiasm refreshing and Ivan nodded, full of energy.

\- The best!

\- Ok, ok, so come on, teach me, professor! – Arthur laughed, pulling the boy onto his lap. Whether that class paid off or not was something to be discussed later, but while he was there, holding Ivan on his lap and hearing him speak in Russian, Arthur felt at peace.

Whatever doubts I had about Russia and what it would be like when everything returned to normal, at that moment it didn't matter. This could be resolved later while those moments could only be experienced at that moment.

And for the moment, Ivan was what mattered. He would find out how to deal with Russia later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm not getting too redundant, but I swear that these glimpses of the interaction between Arthur and Ivan are important to show the emotional attachment between them to justify the end of this story.  
> I am writing the last part of the series, so I believe that the posts will not take so long to come. Stay with me and leave your comments and compliments, I love to answer you, always.


	7. (Sun) Flowers

_Eles dão cor à nossa infância e se tornam nossos amigos para a vida. Esses são os irmãos. - frasesdobem_

* * *

\- Ivan? What do you tell me about taking care of the garden, huh? We can eat in the gazebo today. – Arthur suggested suddenly during a sunny morning. The summer heat was starting to cool, indicating autumn was approaching.

Surprised by the question, Ivan looked at Arthur and then at the back garden, seeming to think for a moment before accepting, giving the Brit a small smile. After the brief breakfast Arthur changed them with clothes more suitable for gardening, improvising an old white outfit and a shabby overall from his former colonies along with a wide-brimmed straw hat, laughing when the hat fell over his violet eyes Ivan, a little too big for him.

Arthur couldn't resist and quickly took a picture with his cell phone, helping the boy to adjust his hat afterwards and also applying a little sunscreen on his exposed areas just in case.

\- Okay, let's go.

\- _Da_!

The speed with which Ivan ran into the garden made the older nation laugh, especially when he saw the fairies, gnomes and other magical creatures that lived there welcoming the boy with joy, flying around him next to dragonflies and dancing butterflies that filled the air with the sounds of life, causing joyful laughter to the child who started running through the various flower beds cut by stone trails.

Arthur was proud of his garden; it was divided into six sections forming a circle, each bed containing a harmonious arrangement of shrubs and flowers, circling the central bed where the most beautiful and colorful roses bloomed around a white wooden gazebo with a light blue roof.

Viewed from above, it was possible to see that the garden was shaped like a pentagram, reminiscent of the times when Arthur was most active in witchcraft.

Behind the garden, a small stone wall that should have been no more than 1.5 cm delimited the space between the garden and the maze of heather, one of which led directly to the forest. Honestly, Arthur was proud of his garden; it was beautiful enough to fit into a palace or public square and a great way to teach English to the little Russian, who shared his love for flowers, as he happily realized one day.

\- Are you okay, Arthur? You looks more tired than usual. – A leprechaun observed, looking at Arthur who had a tired expression, light circles under his eyes.

\- Yes, I just haven't slept well lately. – Arthur yawned, restraining the desire to rub his tired eyes due to the dirty glove, turning his attention to a particular bed where he planted various herbs.

\- Is Ivan giving you trouble? – Another gnome, this older one with a long beard, asked, and the two looked at Ivan, amused by some fairies.

\- He's having nightmares. – Arthur snorted, taking care to harvest the desired amount of valerian root. – I'm going to make you teas and try the herbal trick in the room and hope it will be enough until I find a better alternative.

\- Shouldn't you try Russian methods? You know, getting closer to your origins and everything! - Ailujhy suggested.

\- I'm trying, but I can't understand anything that is written on the internet and the old Scandinavian doesn't help much! – Arthur snorted.

\- _Stashiy brat. Stashiy brat_! - Ivan ran to him, holding a handful of dandelion for him. – Look!

Inflating his chubby cheeks, Ivan blew the weeds, spitting rather than actually blowing, laughing as little white tufts flew through the air. Arthur congratulated him on the amount he managed to blow and that was when Ivan realized that, next to Arthur, next to the bush, there were some dandelions pulled out.

\- Are you going to blow too, Arthur? – The youngest blond asked sweetly.

\- No, I am pulling them out of the garden. They are weeds. – Arthur explained when he noticed the boy's confusion. - They are sometimes beautiful, but they kill other plants and end up ruining the garden.

\- Bad plant! – Ivan exclaimed with a horrified look at what was left of the dandelions in his hands, quickly running to help Arthur remove the weeds, which made the Brit laugh. Arthur carefully stopped Ivan, placing a single hand on his two, much smaller ones.

\- Be careful when taking them out, Ivan, or you could end up hurting the other flowers. – Calming down, Ivan nodded and watched Arthur take the plants, carefully imitating him, quickly cleaning an area of the yard and the British patted Ivan's hat, congratulating him. – Okay, love, you are going to help me water them, okay? Look for a fountain and I will teach you how to water the plants, okay?

\- _Da_!

Humming to himself, Ivan walked away in search of a source; there were many fountains in Arthur's garden where birds could land and drink water or a place for the Brit's more mischievous visitors to play. The Russian easily spotted a functional fountain two beds away. It was among some tall, flowering shrubs that formed a kind of semicircle around the fountain of little angels holding jars through which the water leaked.

\- _Stashiy brat_ , I found it!

\- Ah, good, now ... - Arthur's smile disappeared as soon as he saw Ivan approaching with the fountain in his hands; literally. – I-Ivan?! What did you do?!

\- I brought the source. – The boy replied, confused.

\- Yes, but... When I told you to look for a source, you were not supposed to bring it to me literally! – Arthur explained, hurrying to take the fountain from the boy. – Where did you get it from?

Ivan pointed in the direction and Arthur saw a jet of water splashing high among the bushes, much to the amusement of some fairies flying around the jet. Arthur quickly ran to turn off the water supply, quick protests erupting when the water was gone.

\- _Stashiy brat_ is mad?

\- What? Oh, well, no. Not! I should have explained it better, I think. Do not worry, Ivan, you have not done anything wrong, but be careful, okay? I do not want you to get hurt!

\- OK!

\- And Ivan ... - Arthur bit his lower lip, worried. - Make sure you never do that in front of others, okay?

\- Why?

\- Well, why… Just do not do it, all right, dear?

Ivan stared at Arthur for a moment, confused, but finally he nodded, without even questioning his guardian, who felt a little guilty, but the Russian was so young ... That could wait a little longer, he imagined. Sighing before giving a small smile, Arthur installed the fountain in place and turned on the record again, teaching Ivan how to fill the watering can and how to water the plants.

\- Don't overdo it, okay? Always water the flowers underneath, not on their petals. Some fairies live there and they don't like having their houses flooded and the flowers will be upset if you undo your hair!

Ivan seemed shocked by this information, but he nodded quickly, much to Arthur's amusement.

\- And don't water them too much, or they can drown!

Ivan was even more shocked by this information, looking positively terrified and the boy probably would have refused to water the plants if some fairies and gnomes had not helped him. Arthur wished he could record the scene as he saw it; Ivan surrounded by magical creatures, laughing and having fun, but he knew that none of them would appear on video or photo, which was sad. He wished he could have something to show Ivan when he could no longer see the little creatures, aware that this would happen sooner or later.

Russia, like most countries, was unable to see magical creatures, even those from his own land, Arthur guessed, so it would only be a matter of time when he stopped seeing them. Arthur imagined that his magical friends also knew this, since they always took the opportunity to play with Ivan. Even a small unicorn appeared in the garden and let Ivan ride on it, riding carefully from side to side.

The happy laughter of the fairies combined with the sight of Ivan so happy, something that until five months ago Arthur did not think was possible to exist, seemed to make this such a lovely and unforgettable memory for the Brit. A memory that had a bittersweet flavor when he remembered that one day Ivan would forget that moment and all because he wanted to.

Swiftly pushing aside bitter thoughts, the British nation concentrated on the present, deciding that it would deal with it later. There was no rush; Ivan wouldn't be back to normal anytime soon and until then Arthur would enjoy the welcome company.

Ivan played long enough to get tired and when he started to yawn and rub his sleepy eyes Arthur imagined it was time to go back inside, even because it was already night and the lights and fireflies illuminated the garden. Immediately feeling Arthur's arms around him, Ivan grabbed his shirt and rubbed his face on his chest, yawning and the search for comfort made Arthur smile a little wistfully.

Those sweet moments between the two were becoming commonplace for the Brit and Arthur wondered how long that happiness would last. Like a weed, Ivan was growing in his heart, but unlike those in his garden, Arthur didn't know if he would have the courage to pull it out.

\- _Stashiy brat_? - Ivan called to him, pulling one leg of his pants with a worried look.

\- What is it, Ivan?

The child didn’t have the opportunity to say what was going on in his head, because at that moment they heard knocking from the front door and despite the distance, the voices were perfectly heard by them.

\- Arthur? Um, it's us!

When he recognized the voice on the other side of the door, Arthur froze, looking up with wide eyes and a leaping heart. That voice ... They could only be playing with him.

\- Are you sure he's here, Wales? That _mumpsimus (stubborn person)_ must be hidden in some hole in this house!

\- Scotland, don't be rude; he can hear you! – Wales tried to appease him and it just made Arthur's heart beat so hard that for a second he felt like he really died. Okay, so they weren't playing with him. - Besides, his car is here and the windows are open!

\- _Stashiy brat_ , what…

Before Ivan could finish the sentence, Arthur shut him up, covered his mouth and picked him up, running as quickly and silently as possible from there.

\- What do you think about taking a walk, Ivan? – Arthur whispered, not waiting for an answer before entering the maze and sneaking through it. The moment he crossed the maze into the forest, Arthur looked back, seeing two red heads, one much taller than the other, walking around the garden and talking to each other in an agitated way and that was enough for him to run. .

Arthur only stopped when he was sure he would not be heard or seen and sighed with relief.

\- _Stashiy brat_? – Ivan murmured, uncertain and realizing that he was still carrying the child, Arthur put him down. – _Stashiy brat_ … Is everything okay?

\- Ah, yes, Ivan, I am sorry. I... What do you think about taking a walk? – Arthur asked, shamelessly disguising the situation, clearly confusing Ivan.

\- All well…?

\- Perfect!

Picking up Ivan easily, Arthur put him on his shoulders, earning a cry of surprise followed by excitement. From the top of Arthur's shoulders, the world took on another perspective and Ivan watched in amazement at the forest around him, noting the wild animals in the trees that moved away from his approach.

Arthur just planned to take a walk before heading home again, since the tour had been totally unplanned and soon it would be time for afternoon tea. Arthur would hate to have to lose his precious tea because of them.

Hearing the sound of nature around him, Arthur was thinking about the best way to get around this situation, walking aimlessly for a while, without being afraid of getting lost. That was his land, after all; there was no way he could get lost on his own.

\- _Stashiy brat_ , what is that? – Ivan pointed in a certain direction, taking Arthur out of his distraction. Going in the direction indicated, in the distance Arthur noticed a vibrant yellow field around a farmhouse that contrasted enormously with the forest that surrounded them.

The sight surprised Arthur, mainly because he had never seen that house before and he, who walked through that forest, always thought he knew everything in the surroundings and realized that he was farther from home than he expected.

\- _Brat_ … - Ivan murmured, ecstatic and as soon as Arthur put him on the ground, the little boy ran towards the flowers, amazed at how big he was, bigger than he, in his view, almost as big as the house in that they lived.

His eyes shone, easily forgetting everything as he ran from side to side. Walking behind him, Arthur couldn't help but be enchanted by the sight of the sunflowers, a memory invading his mind without asking permission.

_Flashback_

_Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes, hearing France and America tease him, something about him being too old to go out in cold weather._

_\- Listen here, you wankers, first of all, France is older than me, so shut up, frog! And secondly, who do you think it is for a little rain to stop me? – Arthur turned sharply towards them, feeling a stingy pleasure when they bumped, Francis groaning in pain when Alfred's elbow hit him in the ribs._

_\- It's just a joke, Iggy, relax! - Alfred laughed and making a face, Arthur snorted and turned his back on them, trying to get away as quickly as possible._

_That was when his eyes caught a movement flowing by the wind and he saw Russia standing in front of a flower shop, watching with a real smile a vase with dwarf sunflowers. Arthur did not stop walking, but the quick sight impressed him._

_Was that a real smile on the face of the giant nation? It looked so…_

_End of Flashback_

Arthur was once again brought to reality, this time a little more abruptly when Ivan bumped his legs, barely knocking him over.

\- Ivan?

\- Now, now, now, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare the boy. – A hoarse and worn voice laughed with amusement, surprising Arthur who turned sharply in his direction.

What - or rather, who - he saw was nothing short of a chubby-looking lady wearing a printed dress in light tones and a shawl over her shoulders, her head covered in a light blue cloth. Her skin was very wrinkled and she had a gentle smile on her face.

\- Oh, no, no, I-We apologize. - Arthur stammered, trying to recover from the surprise. - I did not expect to see sunflowers in the middle of the forest, so we were curious... I am sorry to bother you!

\- Now, child, it's not a problem. – The nice lady waved her hand and a smile wanted to appear on Arthur's face when he was called "child", but he controlled himself, imagining it would be a rude gesture. – You're not the new gardener my daughter hired, are you? She is very attentive, but I already said that I can take care of the garden alone!

\- Oh, no, no, I... - Arthur coughed, hiding his embarrassment when he realized that both he and Ivan had not changed clothes. Not that he had time for that, but it didn't make it any less embarrassing for him. – We were just walking.

\- Curious clothes for a walk, but I'm happy to see them. I hardly have any visitors lately; would you like to keep me company for tea?

Despite wanting to refuse, Arthur found himself sitting at a small wrought-iron table devouring some snacks and drinking tea that was too sweet for his taste, but good just the same.

The lady - whom he discovered was called Katyusha and was of Russian origin - rambled about her vast garden and the most different types of sunflower she grew and Arthur had to admit to himself that he was delighted to be able to exchange gardening tips with someone really interested in the subject.

\- I never met anyone who loved sunflowers as much as you did, with the exception of. – Arthur looked sideways in the direction of the Eurasian nation, happily distracted by the sunflowers.

\- I've always loved them. – Katyusha confessed. – I was born in the Siberian part of Russia, where the cold was more frequent than in other regions and the winter was harsh; sunflowers were my only joy before coming to live here!

\- If it is not rude of me to ask, how did you end up in England?

\- My parents came to Europe in search of a better life, far from the communist dictatorship; they bought these lands and lived peacefully here, cultivating the land and died here, unfortunately.

\- Unfortunately?

\- Yes, although they are happy here, their greatest wish was to return to mother Russia, a wish that I also share! – The nostalgic smile on Katyusha's face brought a feeling of tightness to Arthur's chest for some reason. The longing was evident on his face. - I'm surprised to see a countryman so far from home... Tell me, is he your son?

\- What?! Oh, no, no! He... He's my brother! – Arthur stammered, caught off guard, unexpected heat rising up his cheeks with confusion. – How did you know where he is from?

\- I don't know for sure. It's kind of a feeling. – The nice lady explained with a laugh.

They talked a little about children, how difficult it was to raise them and other unique experiences while Ivan played in the middle of the garden. When they realized, the sun was already setting and Arthur sighed. He imagined that those two would already be gone and that it was safe to return.

\- It was good to talk to you, Mrs. Blavinsky, but I think it's our time!

\- Now, dear, call me Katyusha, please! And before you go...

Katyusha entered the house and returned a few minutes later carrying a package in a strange way. The English nation was even more amazed to open the chest and find several toys inside.

\- I had more toys, but I ended up donating them; I didn't think I would find a Russian child so far in the heart of England! If Ivan can accept, I will be very happy!

\- You do not have to do that...

\- I would get rid of them anyway, so it's no big loss! – Katyusha insisted and Arthur, despite not finding it elegant, was unable to refuse the offer and found himself accepting the gift. The good lady even presented Arthur with some sunflower seeds and a vase with a dwarf sunflower for Ivan and after much thanks they left, Ivan on his back and the package in one hand.

It was a little uncomfortable and awkward walk with the two “packages” that he was forced to carry, but finally they got home after half an hour of walking. Damn it, Arthur didn't think they had been this far before. He would have to be more attentive next time. At least the house was empty.

He left the gift under the sofa in the living room and prepared some sandwiches for dinner before giving Ivan a bath that was already sleeping by now and did not worry about the package and its contents until the next day, when Ivan tripped over it.

\- _Stashiy brat, stashiy brat_ , what's in here?

\- Well, let's find out, shall we?

Arthur would admit to himself that he took the time to untie the wrapping knot, amused to see Ivan so anxious, but when he opened it up he was delighted with its contents.

\- Ivan, look! – The island nation called him, placing the toy in front of him. It was a beautiful doll with a red mouth, pink cheeks and dark hair covered in a veil and wearing a red dress decorated with beautiful embroidery.

\- What is it? – Ivan asked, looking at the strange dolls arranged on the floor in front of him.

\- A matrioskas. They are Russian dolls! Look! – Twisting one of the dolls he opened it and revealed another doll just like it inside, in a smaller size. This made Ivan make a surprised and even more surprised sound when, when twisting the smaller doll, Arthur revealed another doll just like the first two, only smaller.

\- _Neimovernyy (incredible)!_ Are they for me?

Ivan practically jumped Arthur when the older nation confirmed it, quickly walking away with the dolls, eager to show it off to his friends. Laughing at the child's excitement after recovering from the surprise, Arthur made a mental note to himself to thank Katyusha in some way.

Maybe with some embroidery or sculpture? From what little he saw in his house it seemed to be something that the nice lady would appreciate. With that idea taken, Arthur decided to take care of the housework, wondering exactly what he would do as thanks.

When he returned to the small house in the middle of the forest, three days later, however, he was sadly surprised to see it now occupied by a young couple, with no sign of the friendly lady other than a brief letter explaining that she had returned to Russia to live with your son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katyusha was the one who should, in the previous chapter, introduce the Russian culture to the two brothers, but it turned out that I couldn't write the way I wanted to and ended up becoming an extra chapter ... I hope you liked it.


	8. A Family Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any errors, I hope you enjoy more fluff stuffs between our favorite brothers!

_Mais que histórias para contar, um amor que nunca morrerá. - Desconhecido_

* * *

__

_Snow. It was all Russia could see; miles and miles of a white blanket that covered the silent forest. He had been wandering for hours, cold and barefoot, trying to find something to calm his noisy stomach while ignoring the pain in his feet that were becoming dangerously numb. Russia had been walking for hours, trying to find food and shelter, without any success._

_Sniffling, the little nation quickly wiped away the tears that insisted on gathering in his eyes, his hands equally sore from the cold. Why was there no one there? Why was it so cold?_

_-_ Brat _; where are you? – Russia whimpered, looking at the trees around. Then a particularly cold breeze blew, making his whole body tremble, but not just from the cold but from what seemed to be a ghostly whisper carried by the wind._

_At first little Russia thought it was just that, the wind, but when the sound was repeated again and this time without the presence of any wind, he realized in fact that it was not his imagination. Looking around, Russia froze when he saw him among the trees, a few feet away from him._

_He was a man, by his physiognomy, wearing elegant blue clothes, but his face... His face looked like that of a frozen corpse, his skin incredibly pale, his beard and mustache covered with a thin layer of snow and his eyes so sunken on his face that he saw nothing but a dark cavity._

_This terrified the small nation, which immediately started running, trying to make its way through the snow as quickly as possible. His body, however, was tiny and weak and as much as he tried, he could not put a distance between himself and the apparition, which started to take a few steps towards him._

_-_ Nyet _! Stay away! – He shouted, startled._

_-_ _Kievan_ _... - The thing murmured, extending a hand to him; a hand as pale as your face, with dry, wrinkled fingers. This left the little boy even more terrified, tears of terror gathering in his eyes before he focused on his path. He needed to be faster._

_-_ _Ivan_ _... – The ghostly voice called to him, making the whole neck and spine shiver. He forced his legs to go faster, but it hurt; his feet hurt so much. –_ _Ivan_ _. - Why couldn't he go faster? He didn't want the ... Thing, to get him. He knew what it would be like when it happened. -_ _Ivan_ _! – Why was there no one there to help him? Where were the people? Where were him…_

\- Ivan!

Ivan's eyes flew open in fright and his heart leaping he looked around, seeing that he was in his room. The next thing he noticed was that he was very, very cold and the third thing - and most importantly in his opinion - was that Arthur was there.

Seeing Ivan awake, Arthur immediately pulled him into his arms, letting out a sigh of relief.

\- You woke up... I was worried when you didn't answer.

\- Stashiy brat?

\- And you are so cold... - Arthur commented, touching the little boy's forehead and pursing his lips when he realized that he was cold as an ice stone. – Was it another nightmare?

The boy weakly denied while hiding in his arms, which was clearly a lie and with a sore heart from the suffering of his little brother, Arthur decided to give him a hot bath, not complaining when Ivan went limp in his arms, letting Arthur manipulate him from side to side without saying a word, clinging to him as soon as he could.

Arthur put on a warm and comfortable outfit and wrapped Ivan with his scarf, handing him Mister Medved, a little worried when Ivan immediately grabbed him for comfort and warmth and refused to leave his side and the older blond didn't have courage to push him away.

Ivan's cold and reaction worried him, having no reason for his behavior and the cold he felt. Just in case, Arthur spent the first hour of the morning researching the situation in Russia, but the country was doing well, maybe a little slowly, but it was improving, so it couldn't be what was affecting Russia. He confirmed this after calling his boss, throwing veiled questions and ignoring the prime minister's bad mood at being woken up so early.

Well, if Arthur had to suffer from lack of sleep, he wouldn't be the only one.

\- Negotiations are going well; the results are starting to show, but we estimate that our GDP will rise by at least 2% in the coming months and we are discussing about bringing some Russian companies here.

\- What about Russia? You have some data on their financial situation, right? Has there been any significant change?

\- Very little; there has been an increase in the number of formal jobs and in public health, but in general it is very meaningless. The sector that grew the most was food exports. - Arthur murmured in understanding, squeezing his cell phone a little while looking at Ivan, looking so desolate and lost with the teddy in his arms. - Why? Is there something wrong with Russia?

\- Oh, no, I just… I just wanted to update myself. – The British nation replied, stroking the platinum strands of the small head in his lap.

\- Just that? You want nothing more?! – The Prime Minister asked in a tone that said he did not believe Arthur and the Brit muttered incomprehensibly, feeling a little offended for some reason.

\- Of course it is! What else would I want?!

\- Do you really want me to tell you? – The man on the other side sighed. – But if you say so, I will believe you. Just try not to get involved with him anymore, Arthur. Do not forget that, before your own desires, comes the desires of your people; getting too involved will not end well for you!

Arthur held back the grunt in his throat, knowing that his boss was fine, but he refused to acknowledge that, deciding it was a problem he didn't want to worry about at the moment. The two men still talked for a while, until Ivan started to ask for food. At least his appetite had not been affected and that was a good thing.

The morning routine was normal, with the two of them having breakfast together and then going to the living room, where Arthur dedicated himself to embroidery while Ivan was painting on some papers and the drawing looked like fairies. They were in a calm mood when the front door burst open with a loud crash against the wall.

\- Artie ~ The big brother is here! – Francis hummed as he entered Arthur's house, only to be thrown back and receive the door in his face. – Artie?

No answer. Francis was still in the same position where he was thrown out with his arms in the air and a static smile on his face. When no one answered, the French nation attacked the door, swinging it desperately.

\- Arthur!! Come on, let me in! Why are you being bad with the big brother? I want to see little Russia!

\- Go away, stubborn one! – Arthur shouted from the window, being immediately attacked by Francis, who tried to enter through the window while Arthur tried to push him out. In the end the two European nations ended up falling into the room. – Get off me, stupid frog!

\- Little Russia, where are you?! – Francis hummed, quickly getting up and looking around for Ivan, taking an unexpected blow to Arthur's head when he managed to get up.

\- Do not call him that, retard! I already said he doesn't know yet! - Arthur ground his tooth, ready to punch Francis again, who raised his hands in surrender.

\- I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Why are you being so boring? I came here to check if you had survived and didn't kill the boy with your depression and is that what you tell me? – Francis complained and Arthur felt a mixture of irritation and shame to learn that he had caused concern in the other nation, but he swallowed the mixed feelings and pushed the other out of his way.

\- Whatever. I am fine.

\- Yeah, you're in your usual bad mood, so you should really be fine. – Francis smiled before kneeling on the floor in front of Ivan, who was partially hidden behind the sofa. – Hi, Ivan, how are you? You remember me, right?

Ivan nodded, but didn't get too close, which left Francis confused and a little worried.

\- He's just a little sad because of a nightmare. – Arthur explained, walking over to them and holding the boy's head gently. – Come on, Ivan, don't be rude. Greet him right.

\- Hello, Mr. Francis.

\- Awn, so polite; it doesn't even look like it's being created by the brow-eyed one! But that sad face doesn't suit you; why don't we go out for a while?

Despite Arthur's protests, Francis managed to convince them to leave the house and the British only accepted because Ivan ended up getting excited and looked at Arthur with those huge eyes, easily yielding him.

\- Okay, okay, we can go. – Arthur sighed and Ivan hugged his legs. At least he was more excited.

Arthur just had to change Ivan's clothes and they were getting into his car towards London. It was a cloudy day, but not so cold, and Ivan spent the entire trip asking a series of questions that neither of the two older nations bothered to answer.

It was even a little fun to hear the child's naive questions; why were the buildings so tall? Why were there so many people? What were they doing? Where were they going? Arthur did not remember Ivan being so talkative the first time they left home after he returned from the world meeting, but at that time the Russian was too busy being enchanted by the landscape to speak.

The questions did not stop even when they were wandering around the city. Francis and Arthur decided after a brief discussion, decided to go to Sea Life, the London aquarium and although it was crowded, since it was summer and the high season in London, Arthur managed to get them inside easily.

\- Wow! How did you get that, _stashiy brat_? – Ivan asked with big eyes of admiration and the older blonde gave a proud smile as he adjusted him in his arms.

\- Why? Did not you like it? – The blonde answered with his own question, smiling provocatively when Ivan denied it.

The trip to the aquarium ended up being more fun than the British had expected, mainly because it had been a long time since he had been there. They passed the small aquariums first, full of small fish and even an octopus that terrified Ivan, clinging to Arthur for dear life. The living waters were a show apart and the little Russian had fun with the pools, touching the waters experimentally and laughing when a fish grazed his finger playfully.

After leaving the aquariums and swimming pools, they crossed the large tube that passed inside the aquarium and the employees were throwing food into the aquarium, resulting in a cluster of fish around the tube. The most interesting sightings were that of sharks and a large turtle and Arthur was happy to have brought his camera. He managed to capture the exact moment when a shark rubbed its nose on the glass, exactly where Ivan's palm, on Francis' lap, rested, the expression of surprise and joy shining on his chubby face.

They saw many more sea animals in the aquarium and when they left there had already been two hours and took some souvenirs from the gift shop, including a plush Jellyfish.

\- And then? What did you think of the aquarium? Liked? – Francis asked the boy in his lap, earning an excited wave and a happy laugh that made the two nations smile.

\- I loved! _Spasibu (Spacibo - thanks)_ for the plush, Mr. Francis! – Ivan hugged him, crushing the two stuffed animals he carried on the face of the Frenchman, who laughed.

\- Awn, so polite… I really want to take you with me!

\- _Nyet_! – Ivan panicked, shaking himself in the older blonde's arms until Arthur assured him that he was just playing and that the Russian didn't have to worry about it.

\- Stop scaring him, stupid frog. – Arthur growled before looking at his watch. – It is already lunchtime... Are you hungry, Ivan?

\- _Da_! Food. Food!

Arthur laughed at the boy's excitement and they opted for a restaurant that had an area for children to play. They intended to go to the London Eye before leaving, but the adults needed to rest their feet before continuing with the journey and the children's area would give them some rest.

\- Welcome to La Cuisine Dorée; we have special discounts for couples and children of up to 15% on our special menu; would you like to request it? – The waitress who took them to the table spoke with a wide smile.

\- Ah, no, we are not...

\- We will be very happy, mademoiselle. – Francis kicked Arthur under the table, thanking her when he received the menu.

\- The children's area is free for children to have fun and we have special snacks for them on the menu; when you're ready, just call me. – The waitress smiled and walked away, going to meet other customers and once she turned her back on them, Arthur shot Francis with his eyes.

\- What the hell was that, frog? We are not a couple!

\- Come on, Artie, what's the matter? I thought a hard bread like you would be happy to receive a discount.

\- Not when it means having any relationship with you!

\- I'm hurt, _mon ami_ , really hurt. – Francis wiped away a fake tear before smiling at Ivan, who was looking anxiously at the children playing in the play area. - Do you want to join them, Ivan?

\- Can I?

\- Sure, as soon as you eat all your food!

\- Yes, you have to be a good boy; no rushing and choking, Ivan.

\- Oкей !!

Despite his promise, Arthur had to get Ivan's attention a couple of times and as soon as he finished eating and was allowed to leave Ivan jumped out of his chair (the Brit had to help him) and he ran to the children's area, taking the your teddy.

The children's area was not much, just a space with two tables for children to draw, a ball pit for children, a slide and a space lined with a colorful rug where there was a big box with toys.

There weren't many children either, just five in all, and as the Russian boy approached the door he felt insecure, running back to the two countries.

\- Ivan?

The little Russian did not respond to Arthur's call, clinging to his pants while shyly observing the children's area and noticing the boy's shyness, the Frenchman took the initiative. He calmed him down and led him to the small plastic door, assuring Ivan that everything would be fine and that they would be there for him if the boy needed it.

Although still in doubt Ivan ended up convincing himself and went in and with a satisfied smile the blonde returned to his table, seeing that his only companion was looking at him with slight annoyance.

\- What is it?

\- Nothing. It seems that you are still good with children.

\- Arthur; are you jealous? – The European laughed, amused. - It's been a while since I had contact with a child. Remember when we had a house full of them?

\- Hard to forget. – Arthur rolled his eyes, taking a mouthful to his mouth to contain the small smile that the memories brought. – And wan not a _full_ house. I did not create so many nations together, asshole!

\- Ah, so gentle words!

While the two nations remembered the past, Ivan was trying to fit in and failing, standing in a corner without the courage to approach the children. One of the boys noticed him and seeing how lost he was it seemed to take pity on him and approached Ivan.

\- Hi, my name is Isaac; is that you?

\- …Ivan… - The Russian replied timidly, hiding his face behind the teddy.

\- Want to play with us, Ivan? We are seeing who gets the fastest down the slide! – The moment Ivan nodded Isaac pulled him by the hand to the slide, where two more boys were already and introduced them to Ivan.

\- He is just a brat; will ruin our game! He has to stay at the tables! – One of the boys, a little louder than the rest spoke and the girl who was painting with a smaller boy who was probably his brother showed his tongue to him before concentrating on his drawing.

\- Ivan is not that small! – Isaac defended him before turning to him with a wide smile. – Do not worry, Ivan, I will teach you the game!

At first Ivan felt insecure, but Isaac was a nice boy, although a little bit outgoing and soon Ivan was having fun with the other kids without any problem. At some point Arthur went to check on Ivan and while he was returning to the table Isaac approached the small plastic fence to watch him, curious.

\- Is that your father?

\- Dad? – Ivan was confused by that unknown word. He did not know what "father" meant. – He's my _stashiy brat_.

\- Stashi-What? – One of the boys who was with them, with red hair, approached the two, confused to hear the foreign word. - You speak such strange words ...

\- It is because he's an for… Forre… Foreigner! – Isaac replied, proud of himself for getting the word right. – My father told me; those who speak different languages are outsiders! Where you are from?

Ivan couldn't answer, so he just shrugged, hugging Mister Medved with concern. Should he know these things? Would his new friends be angry with him for not knowing?

\- Where are your parents? – The taller boy asked, joining them.

Not knowing what that new word meant Ivan pointed to the table where Arthur and Francis were sitting and the boys were confused, the older man frowning.

\- Two men? They are brothers? – In the question, Ivan again denied and the tall boy snorted. – Are they your parents? But parents should be a father and a mother; that is not a mother! Only women are mothers! – He snorted.

\- You do not have a mother? – Isaac asked, surprised by such a possibility and Ivan shrank a little more, denying. At that moment, a man approached the playpen, calling for the taller boy, who hurried over to him.

\- Dad, dad, that boy has two fathers! – The boy said to the man, who looked at the child his son was pointing at and the moment his eyes landed on Ivan he frowned, looking a little disgusted. This startled Ivan, who held Mister Medved in his arms in awe.

\- Two fathers? Do you mean, two men? – If possible, his expression was even more disgusted when his son confirmed. – Unfortunate; why orphanages approve of this kind of thing is a mystery to me; surely this boy will be distorted.

\- _Nyet_ , I love _stashiy brat_ ; there's nothing wrong with Mr. Francis either! Don't speak ill of them! – Ivan protested, understanding that the man was speaking ill of the two Europeans, but his sulky expression did not intimidate the man in the least.

\- I am just telling the truth, boy! They are two men, are not they? Two men cannot form a family; it is weird and wrong! I bet you will become like them; a shame! It is because of these weirdos that the world is getting this way...

\- A family of freaks! - The man's son spoke, laughing and Ivan sniffed, feeling frustrated.

\- Excuse me, who are you calling “freaks”? – Arthur asked, appearing behind the other man like a ghost and Ivan immediately ran up to him, clinging to his legs.

Seeing that, the other man scoffed and not at all discreetly removed his son from them.

\- Nobody. Now, if you will excuse us... Paul, don't get too close to these kind of kids again. They can influence you in the wrong way.

\- Now, listen here... – Arthur started, his face turning red with anger and only stopped because he heard Ivan groan and when looking at his feet he realized how scared the poor boy was and swallowing his indignation he took Ivan in his lap and moved away.

\- What was that? – Francis asked when Arthur joined him, already outside.

\- An idiot was bothering Ivan, calling him weird. This is the reason I did not want to agree with your stupid idea!

\- Come on, Arthur, you know well that this has nothing to do; there are idiots like him everywhere! – Francis tried to calm his companion, who grunted some curses, clearly upset. Sighing and knowing that he couldn't do much with him, the Frenchman focused on Ivan, clinging to Arthur's neck with a sad expression. – Come on, little one, smile; the tour is not over yet! We still have a special place to go, do you want to?

After a few moments Ivan nodded weakly, getting more excited when he saw the huge ferris wheel. She had caught his attention before and knowing that they were going to ride her made him more excited.

Although it was daytime it was a fun ride. The three went together and Ivan could see much of the city from up there, the two adults vying to see who pointed out the most interesting places from up there and making the boy laugh.

When he left the ferris wheel Ivan insisted on walking, so that the two older nations held him, each by one hand, Arthur taking Mister Medved with him while Francis carried the souvenirs from the aquarium. Looking from one nation to another Ivan smiled, feeling happy.

He didn't quite understand the words he heard earlier, the concept of family, mother and father foreign to him, but regardless of what those words meant he knew he loved his brother and liked Mr. Francis and that was enough for him.

Smiling more widely, Ivan shook the hands that held him and smiling, the two blondes shook him, causing laughter of joy from the small nation and at that moment everything was fine in the world.

* * *

When they returned home it was the middle of the afternoon and Ivan was almost dozing in Arthur's arms, clinging to him with a smile on his face as Francis took his plushies. The little boy was feeling exhausted but happy, the nightmare of that night totally forgotten, as well as the cold.

Ivan put him to sleep in his room with the two stuffed animals surrounding him, removing his scarf and covering him with a blanket before going down, where he found Francis sitting on one of the kitchen chairs.

\- Do not you intend to go home anymore? – Arthur asked with a slightly annoyed tone, although such a feeling is far from him at the moment.

\- Always eager to send me away, huh? My flight leaves in three hours, I still have a lot of time. - Said the blonde, accepting the glass of water that Arthur offered him. - I had a lot of fun today. We should do this more often!

\- As long as you pay, I do not care. But know that I'm only doing this because of Ivan; you and that flirtatious way of yours managed to make him like you and it would be cruel of me to prevent him from seeing you. But if you dare to corrupt my baby in any way I will kill you! – Artur threatened him ominously, squeezing the glass he held so tightly that it cracked the glass, scaring the Frenchman.

\- Don't worry about it, what do you think I am? Next time it will be at my house! – Francis assured and Arthur grunted, turning the glass. – Changing the subject a little, how things are? Has Alfred or your brothers bothering you about... Your new ties to Russia?

\- Alfred has not spoken to me since he came by surprise here at home, but his government has been somewhat annoying. – Arthur sighed, defeated. - The only reason he is not being tougher with me is because of my connection with the European Union. As for my brothers, Allistor is the only one who has been bothering me with constant calls and Wales tries not to ask, even he wants.

\- Don't you think you should at least explain to them why you are helping Russia?

Arthur just grunted, avoiding talking about his brothers. He saw no reason to warn them. If they were really worried about him, they would have already managed to visit him, although he knew that his government was doing its best to prevent the possible for this to happen before signing more solid agreements with the Russians.

\- They can wait. I am sure that once they have passed this meeting, they will have plenty of time to bother me. Until then I can enjoy the peace I have left!

\- I think you're just being stingy, keeping Russia just for you... – Francis teased him childishly, although inside he was worried, hoping that things would be as good as he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably already said that, but I don't like FrUk, but they are good friends, despite all the adversities.


	9. Not Human

_A amizade é um meio de nos isolarmos da humanidade cultivando algumas pessoas. - Carlos Drummond de Andrade_

* * *

Ivan heard the sound of laughter before Arthur and putting the book he was reading aside, he went to the window, watching a small group of children who should have been older than him for two or three years, laughing as they hid behind some flowering bushes halfway between the house and the gate.

\- Ivan? What is it? – Arthur asked when he saw him at the window, getting up from his chair to see what the child saw and as soon as he appeared at the window, the children outside were frightened and hid quickly, which made Arthur sigh.

\- Who are they, Arthur? – Ivan asked curiously, holding his shirt.

\- They must be children from nearby farms; but what are they doing in my garden? Those little pests will end my flowers! HEY, YOU THERE! – Arthur stuck his head out of the window, making the children scream in surprise. – IF YOU DAMAGE MY PLANTS I WILL TURN THEM IN TOADS!

Horrified, the children screamed, which left Arthur satisfied and after closing the window carefully, he returned to his chair, but not Ivan. The little boy was curious; he intrigued and excited to know possible new friends, remembering when he went with his brother and uncle (as Francis insisted on being called, despite Arthur saying that "frog" was enough) and met some children. Of course, in the end an adult appeared and made him sad, but ivan enjoyed making new friends and had a lot of fun, so new friends meant more fun.

For the next few days, Ivan waited for them at the window, wondering if he would see them again and it was five days later, on a cloudy afternoon, that his question was answered.

\- Pst. Pssst. – A low sound was repeated, attracting the attention of Ivan, who immediately stiffened and opened his eyes wide, looking around at the source of the noise. – Hey, here!

A hand waved at him beyond the bushes, followed by a blond head, two, three… There were five children in all, looking at Ivan with different levels of curiosity.

\- Saw? I said that had a child living here! – The blond-haired boy who had caught Ivan's attention first told his companions. – Hey, come here. You are alone, aren't you?

Ivan did not respond at first, too moved to speak.

\- He doesn't speak, James! – One of the two girls in the group, whose hair was tied in two long braids, made a face at the first boy with a frown.

\- I bet the wizard pulled his tongue out! – Another boy, with more brown hair and features a little more coarse than his companions, scoffed, making the other girl, whose appearance indicated that he was close to Ivan's age, cower behind the bush in fear.

Without understanding the children's conversation, Ivan looked at Arthur, doing the dishes in the kitchen and then at the children spying on him and clearly talking about him and building up courage, the pale boy raised a hand in an uncertain greeting, a small shy smile appearing on his face.

\- _Pri-Privyet._

\- Oh, he talks! – James exclaimed, surprised, despite barely hearing Ivan's timid voice.

\- Ivan? – Arthur appeared behind him suddenly, surprising the children who quickly ran away, the youngest girl screaming. – What is it? Are those kids again?! Damn… I told you to stay away from my garden…

\- They look fun. – Ivan commented with a small smile, ignoring Arthur's fearful look.

\- Yes, I think so... come on, why don't you help me untangle the yarn? What do you think about learning to knit?

This certainly attracted the attention of the small nation that immediately jumped from its place at the window and ran to the chair next to the fireplace, already lowering itself in its brother's sewing basket and looking for the skeins, humming childishly. This calmed Arthur's heart, but deep down the concern lay.

He didn’t know who those children were, but he feared what an interaction between Ivan and those children could bring to Ivan, realizing more and more that he had something different about him.

Arthur had already realized that, as the days went by, Ivan was getting stronger and stronger and that caused some accidents around the house. Nothing serious, however, but they were still things that normal children would not understand.

Arthur knew he should tell Ivan the truth, tell him what he - they - were, but every time he thought about it, nervousness shut him up and he wasn't sure why.

No, deep down, Arthur knew what it was. It was fear. Fear that, once he knew who he was, Ivan would want to leave. If that were Ivan's wish, the Brit would respect it, but it wasn't a crime for him to want to enjoy it a little more, right?

"Soon. Before we go to Italy, I'm going to tell him."

* * *

Ivan was again at the window, watching the rain, another drizzle, which fell gently outside, looking so sad that Arthur felt guilty for keeping the boy indoors and alone, since he was busy with the chores domestic.

\- Ivan, do you want to play outside? – He asked and Ivan turned his head to him with wide eyes.

\- I can?! But it's raining!

\- Not so much. - Arthur laughed. – The rain is very light and I imagined that you would not like to spend the whole day inside the house! So you want?

\- Yes Yes! Yes!! – Ivan jumped, smiling widely and ruffling the boy's light blond hair Arthur went to his room in search of a yellow raincoat that he had bought especially for days like these.

\- Okay, little one, stay still. You need to be an educated boy, understand? – Arthur instructed him when the boy was too agitated and Ivan nodded, staying as long as possible, heeding his brother's commands when he asked to move, wearing yellow galoshes. In the end, Arthur pulled the cloak over Ivan's head and smiled at the image, taking a picture before letting Ivan out the door.

\- Take care and don't get hurt! – Arthur still asked, winning a flustered " _Da_ " followed by laughter that made him smile and shake his head.

Once outside, Ivan found himself running back and forth in the front yard

Despite the light rain that fell, some birds were still out in the open and immediately upon seeing them Ivan started to chase the small winged animals, laughing and laughing. When he wasn't, he was peeking at the holes in the trunks of the only tree in the garden. Suddenly, a stone fell next to him and jumping, Ivan looked in the direction from which he had come, seeing at the gate the children of the other day, at least four of them. The smaller girl did not appear to be present.

The blond boy, James, once again threw a stone at Ivan who watched the stone hit the tree trunk in front of him with a confused look, not knowing why they were throwing things at him.

\- You're bad at aiming, James; should have hit him! – A boy with blond hair with the darkest roots and freckles on his face complained with the boy beside him, picking up a stone himself. – Here, I bet I can!

He threw a stone from James' hand and threw it at Ivan, hitting it even further than the other, making the boys laugh and mock him. Getting up, Ivan approached the gate quickly, curious about those strangers.

\- _Privyet._ Who are you? - Ivan asked, grabbing his raincoat in a protective gesture. – Let's play?

\- We want to know why you're here! – The girl spoke, direct and haughty. - Are you stuck?

\- Stuck?! _Nyet_ ...

\- Nie ... What ?! So why do you just stand there, in the window with that stupid face? – The other boy, also with blond hair, but with some darker tones at the root and freckles on his face, asked.

\- And how the wizard has not turned you into a frog yet? – Asked the only girl in the small group, without giving Ivan time to answer the previous question. When she noticed Ivan's confusion with the question, Alice, as she was called, elaborated a little more. - My mother said that in this house lives a wizard who captures the children taken to his spells and that he speaks with things that are not of God ...

\- _Stashiy brat_?! He wouldn't do that; he is the best brother there is!

\- Brother?! Are you the wizard's brother? – James walked away a little, looking at Ivan strangely, as did the other boys. – No wonder you're so strange... Why don't you leave the house? He does not allow it?

\- Why would I leave? I like it here. – Ivan replied with sincerity and a satisfied smile. – There are a lot of interesting things here; there are fairies, elves… And the horned horse!

The children looked at Ivan as if he were a freak, the brown-haired boy and the freckled boy laughing. Even the girl snickered.

\- These things do not exist ... My mother said that it is all invention! - She said with her chest puffed up and proud, which made Ivan twitch his eyebrows.

\- Yes, there are; I play with them! - He protested before smiling broadly, an idea coming to his mind. - I can show it! Although _Stashiy brat_ says they don't go out much in the rain; but we can play in the back! There is a big maze there... And there are the fountains too... _Brat_ has a lot of cool stuff!

\- I don't want to go in there! – The freckled boy protested, moving away from the railing gate a little.

\- And we also don't want to play with you! – The darkest one exclaimed, leaving Ivan a little sad.

\- Why not?

\- You're weird! – The boy answered without any hesitation or concern with Ivan's feelings, in the typical way of children. – You live in this weird house and you look weird! You also says weird things!

Weird? Ivan looked at himself, seeing nothing about him that could be considered weird. He was normal, healthy, just like the kids in front of him and he didn't speak weird; it's okay that some words he spoke he never heard Arthur repeat, but his brother never scolded him for it, so everything was fine, right?

Deciding that staying on that side of the gate would not help him, Ivan decides to go to them. He imagined that Arthur would not be angry, after all, he would not be alone and would be careful, so everything would be fine, right? His small hands gripped the gate latch, the distance forcing him to raise his feet slightly, but he managed to open the latch and the gate opened with a small creak of metal.

\- Okay, now can we play, Da? – Seeing the reluctance of the other children, Ivan insisted, not wanting them to leave. – Let's jump in the puddles! Or draw in the mud!

The four children looked at each other uncertainly, looking at Ivan quickly before looking at each other and a rather evil smile appeared on the boys' faces.

\- I have a better game; let's play run and catch! – James decided, quickly pushing Ivan. - It's with you! Try to catch us!

Recovering from the unexpected blow that made him stumble back, Ivan looked at the boys who were running around him and laughed, imagining it was a strange but fun game and started chasing them. Sometimes while one of the boys hit him, with his arms or elbows, sometimes even hitting his feet or legs, but Ivan barely felt the blows, his body, although human, was that of a nation and was therefore more tough and because they didn't bother him, he figured it was all part of the game and also started pushing.

In one of his jerks he put a little more force than necessary, sending the girl to the floor with a cry of pain.

\- Alice! – James and the other blonde ran to her, helping her to her feet, her transparent cloak and some of her mud-stained dress, as well as her face.

\- Sorry, did I hurt you? – Ivan asked, really worried. He didn't think he had used too much force. He approached the girl to help her, but she moved away from him, with tears in her eyes.

\- Moron! That hurt! – She shouted, making Ivan cringe a little.

\- _Izvinite_ ... I didn't want…

\- I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU ANYMORE! – Alice pushed him and this time hard enough to knock over Ivan, the raincoat slipping off his head and revealing the platinum-blond strands.

\- I think we should play another game! – The brown-haired boy suggested with a grunt, a wicked smile on his face before he threw mud on Ivan's head. – It's called “Let's paint the weird”!

\- Oh, good idea! – The freckled boy laughed, taking more mud and throwing it at Ivan.

\- Stop; you are being bad! – Ivan whimpered, the sensation of mud in his head causing an unpleasant sensation.

\- And you're weird! – The older boy repeated. – An weird crying baby! We are only helping you; if we use more mud, your hair should be less white! You look like an old man with that hair!

\- _Nyet_! Stop it! – Without listening to Ivan the boys started to throw more mud at him, gradually annoying Ivan, who got up and walked away, using his hands to protect his face, but this only made the children come closer and in an attempt to defend themselves , Ivan hit one of them very hard, throwing him face to face in the mud.

From the muffled scream, it certainly hurt, but Ivan paid no attention to that, grabbing an arm that tried to hit him with all the strength he had, which for him was more than that of a normal human being.

\- You are being bad children! I don’t like!

\- MY ARM! MY ARM! – The boy cried out in pain and Ivan immediately released him, as if his arm had burned him, the freckled boy falling to the floor with whimpers of pain.

\- Ivan! – Arthur ran out of the house, having heard the screams of Ivan and then the children. James ran away as soon as he saw him, the brown-haired boy following close behind, leaving a terrified Alice behind with the injured boy. – What do you think you are doing?

\- Wi-wizard! – Alice whimpered, looking at Arthur as if he were the demon.

Arthur ignored her and examined the injured boy, telling Ivan to go inside without looking at him, relieved to find that nothing was broken, despite the impression of Ivan's hand around the thin arm that would surely take days to disappear.

\- You will go to your homes and will not return here, understand?! If you even talk about it with someone...

The threat remained in the air, but it was enough for the frightened children, who quickly agreed before fleeing too. Once they were gone, Arthur picked up Ivan, quickly taking him into the house while grumbling to himself, holding Ivan in his arms.

Startled, Ivan tightened his arms around Arthur, wondering if he would be punished for what he had done. He wanted to apologize, but he was so terrified that the words stuck in his throat. Ivan did not protest when Arthur took off his clothes and put him in the bathtub, turning on the hot water and carefully tilting his head back to wash the dirt from his hair.

\- Close your eyes, Ivan. – Arthur asked in a soft voice, not looking as angry as Ivan expected and after some reluctance the little Russian obeyed, feeling the water running down his back and face.

The bath went on in silence and after making sure that Ivan was clean, Arthur wrapped him in a fluffy towel and dried him, then dressed him and noting how he looked dejected, Arthur wrapped him with his scarf, sighing when Ivan practically huddled on the piece of cloth.

Picking up Ivan once more, the two nations went to the kitchen and Arthur made some tea, poured some more sugar for Ivan, the two of them remaining in a tense silence for a while until Arthur decided he should speak.

\- Ivan.

\- Are you mad at me, _brat_? – Ivan asked in a small voice, head down and half hidden in his scarf, small fingers playing with the hot cup and Arthur sighed, resting an arm on the table.

\- What happened? You realize that you hurt a child, right? – Ivan nodded softly. - Why did you do that? I told you to be careful!

\- They were being bad... And I pushed the girl, but it was unintentionally. They started throwing dirt at me and saying that I was weird; I just wanted them to stop! – Ivan sniffed, eyes starting to water and feeling sorry for him, Arthur took him in his lap, stroking his hair. – I swear I didn't want to hurt anyone!

\- I know, Ivan, but you must be careful; you are stronger than ordinary people. If they hit you, you will feel little, but a blow from you, even if by accident it can hurt a human being.

\- Why? I'm… Weird?!

\- No of course not! You are… - Arthur choked on his words, looking at Ivan and seeing, for a brief moment, Russia, the adult personification, with his little childlike smile and unfathomable eyes. – You are perfect!

Guilt took hold of Arthur as he remembered the times in the past when he thought how strange Russia was, how he had weird habits and all the times he said nothing when he heard other nations speak ill of the great nation.

\- There is nothing wrong with you! You are a wonderful child, Ivan, the best little brother I could ask for, you are just not… Human. - Ivan blinked his eyes in confusion, not quite sure what that meant. – You and me are nations, Ivan, more precisely, I am the personification of England and you are the personification of Russia!

\- I don't understand, brother. – Ivan was positively confused, looking at his hands. The concept of human was not something he had come across intellectually, but an unquestionable fact of his day-to-day life. - How can I be a… Nation?!

\- Well, it's a little difficult to explain, I do not nkow why we can exist, but we exist. There are several countries in the world; some are islands, like me, others are parts of the continents, like you! Do you remember when I showed you an image of the globe? Remember when I told you about Russia? !!

\- Yes. It was huuuuugh!

\- Yeah, it was! – Arthur laughed. – The biggest country in the world! We are different from human beings; we do not get hurt easily, except by direct blows from other nations and compared to us, human beings are very fragile. So you have to be careful with them; if you use too much force you can seriously injure a human!

Ivan looked at his hands, a little startled, understanding Arthur's words and the gravity of his words; remembering Alice and the other boy whose arm he grabbed Ivan had a sense of how dangerous he could be and his naive and childlike mind tried to conjure up what it would be like to hurt someone worse than that.

Sensing part of Ivan's feelings, Arthur held his hands gently, attracting his attention, a comforting smile on his face.

\- You do not need to be afraid; you will learn to control this force over time, just like me, but be careful with humans, Ivan. Do not play with them anymore, okay? You will find other friends to play with! – Ivan did not answer, still a little subdued, but accepted the comfort of his brother, holding his fingers gently, fearing to hurt him. – You do not need be afraid, Ivan, you will not hurt me.

\- Not even without wanting to?

\- Well, maybe unintentionally. - Arthur thought, hurrying to calm his little brother when he was clearly sad, his hands moving away from Arthur quickly. - But its alright; sometimes we hurt others unintentionally, just like it was just now. You didn't want to hurt those kids, did you?

Ivan denied it.

\- But I don't wanna to hurt anyone, even without wanting to. Won't people be afraid of me if I hurt them?

\- Yes, they will. – Arthur replied sadly, his heart sinking as he looked at Ivan. – That is why you have to know how to use your strength; if you use that force to protect, people will not be afraid of you.

\- Same?! If I grow up to be like you, then won't people be afraid to be my friends? Even humans?!

\- Like me? – Arthur was surprised and Ivan smiled broadly, holding Arthur's hands carefully but firmly, already showing all the strength he had as a nation.

\- Just like you, _Stashiy brat_! Brother is strong, but kind and you talk to everyone and always smile and get along with everyone! If I'm like you, I'll make a lot of friends, Da?!

The statement took Arthur by surprise, mainly because he didn't get along with everyone, but a child's logic was unique, as was his view of the world and it warmed the island nation's heart to know that his little brother had such a vision positive. This made Arthur laugh, ruffling Ivan's hair tenderly. He wanted to say that Ivan was wrong, that he was as lonely and unloved as the older Russia, but he couldn't just destroy the poor child's illusions, so he just agreed.

\- Yes, I sure you will!

The two spent more time talking before dinner time and at nightfall the Brit had to carry the sleepy child up to his room, placing him on the bed and covering him carefully.

He was relieved that Ivan was fine, irritated by the way the other children treated him and worried about the future. He hoped, from the bottom of his heart, that Ivan would be fine.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we come to the end of this volume. By the end of this month, I will be starting the volume on the world meeting and so we are approaching the end. Leave your comments and opinions, I love interacting with my readers.

_Quem tem um irmão conhece o sinônimo da proteção. - Desconhecido_

* * *

*I'm running out of images of a children's Russia.

The fairies and gnomes blinked in confusion as they saw the small nation all smiling and laughing sitting in the planter with a book on their laps next to Flying Mint Bunny and the two inseparable plushies on their side.

\- Why are you so happy, Ivan? – Brown asked Ivan, resting on his shoulder. The question only made Ivan laugh more and he swung his legs (still too short to touch the floor), showing the book to the fairies who came closer.

\- _Stashiy brat_ will take me to meet my _sestry_ (sisters)! Isn't that incredible? Will they be so cool as _stashiy brat_?!

\- They must be pretty like you. – Blusky flattered the boy who laughed awkwardly, a small flush appearing on his pale, round cheeks.

 _\- Stashiy brat_ said that they are parents…

\- Countries. – Ailujhy whispered to the boy,

\- Yeah. Like me! Here, look. – Russia pointed to the countries he now recognized as Ukraine and Belarus. – I saw a picture of them; they are really beautiful... And they are sooooo tall. Like _Stashiy brat_! Look, I'm here and these are them! – Then Ivan pointed to Russia and the fairies and gnomes made impressive sounds.

\- Are you that big landmass? It is huge! – A garden gnome wearing a small hat that looked like an orange pumpkin exclaimed, clearly impressed and Ivan smiled again, cheerful.

\- _Stashiy brat_ said that I am the biggest country in the world and that I will be big; bigger than him!

\- Eeeh?! So will you stop being our cute Ivan? Not even! Don't grow up, Ivan! – Blusky whimpered, grabbing Ivan by the left cheek and Ivan was a little distressed.

\- But-I can't stop myself from growing up.

\- She's just teasing you, Ivan. Ignore it. – Ailujhy advises before scolding the fairy.

\- But kids are cute! Cuter than adults and he's the cutest thing in the world! I don't want to lose all that cuteness! – The blue fairy exclaimed, waving her wings almost violently as she regretted the inevitable loss and that worried Ivan.

\- _Stashiy brat_ wouldn't like me if I were big?!

\- Of course he would. You will surely be a very kind and beautiful adult. You will be a cute adult! – The green bunny guaranteed, flicking his nose a few times before rubbing his snout in Ivan's hand as a sign of comfort. – Besides, I'm sure you would be cute at any age.

This made Ivan smile and he stroked the cute little creature's head, making sure he didn't hurt her. His strength was getting a little out of control; nothing serious, but if Ivan didn't pay attention, he could end up using excessive force.

The little Russian was interrupted from his moment when Pinky, a lovely fairy with pink butterfly wings with light pink hair decorated with beautiful flowers decorating her braid, floated over the book, looking at the map.

\- What does a country do, Ivan? – She asked, curious.

Ivan blinked, a little surprised as he thought about that question. The same as he had done a few days ago.

_Flashback_

\- What does a country do, _Stashiy brat_? – Ivan asked one night before going to sleep. This earned Arthur a contemplative look before he set the chosen book for that night on his lap, trying to find the right words.

\- Well, many things; a country's main obligation is to take care of its people: offering good living conditions, good education, good health...

\- All of that?! It's too much! – Ivan despaired. Should he take care of people's happiness? This was a great responsibility; Ivan didn’t like to feel sad and imagined that if humans did not either; how should he keep them happy? – How am I going to do all this, _Stashiy brat_? What if I can't handle it? I don't want to make anyone sad!

\- You need not be afraid, Ivan. You will do well and if you need, I will be there to help you! – Arthur calmed him, rubbing his platinum hair and the child sighed happily. – When one country cannot do this alone, other countries help. That is why we are going to Italy; every three months the main countries in the world meet somewhere in the world to discuss various issues and make important decisions!

\- Will there be many countries there? – Ivan asked ecstatically, hugging Mister Medved more tightly. – All the… the…

\- 198. And no. – Arthur laughed. – There will only be fifty countries in all, including your sisters!

Ivan cried out in joy, looking forward to this meeting. Arthur spoke the little he knew about them, but that was still little for the small nation. How would they be in person? Would they be cool like your big brother? Would they like him? He was a little scared, but his older brother guaranteed that everything would be okay and that they would like him, so he tried not to worry too much, but still ...

\- _Brat_.

\- Yes? – Arthur murmured, checking his passports one last time and making sure he wasn't forgetting any important documents.

\- My _sestry_ ; will they like me? – Ivan looked at Arthur with big, fearful eyes, shaken by the possibility of his sisters rejecting him.

\- Of course they are, Ivan! – Arthur laughed, amused. – They are your sisters and they love you very much! Do not worry about it.

\- Hum... And the other countries? Will they like me too?

This question left Arthur speechless for a few moments, recalling previous meetings and the interaction between nations with Russia and he knew that while many nations could be more open to the new Russia, many would probably not be so friendly, even with guarantees from Nikau.

The Englishman, however, could not say that to the boy; Ivan wouldn't understand and it would break his little heart. This Ivan was innocent, free from any sin of his older self.

\- Of course they will! It can only be a little difficult in the beginning! Russia… Russia is a big country, love, remember what I told you? This means that you are the strongest of all nations physically and sometimes it scares others!

\- But I won't scare anyone, stashiy brat! I will be a good boy; I promise! – Ivan assuredly vehemently staring at the older blond with those big bright and anxious eyes that seriously, if Ivan continued to look at him like that, poor Arthur's heart wouldn't be able to stand it. – I won’t do as I did with those children; I will be good and careful!

\- So I am sure you will make many friends there. – Arthur assured in a soft voice, hoping from the bottom of his heart that this was true. – Being a country often means to stop being us, Arthur and Ivan, to be England and Russia; that means thinking about the good of the people and not that of another country. Because of this we constantly fight and conflict with each other and this prevents us from trusting each other completely!

\- Eeh? I don't want to be a country anymore! I don't want you to stop trusting me, _stashiy brat!_ – Ivan panicked and Arthur calmed him with a short laugh and a pat on the head.

\- Unfortunately, this is not something we can stop being, Ivan. When you get older you will understand. But do not worry. You will be fine! It will be different this time. – The last sentence was said in an almost inaudible whisper that left Ivan a little confused, but he did not question, trusting the older man's words. Arthur never lied to him, after all.

_End of Flashback_

\- A lot of stuff, I think. It involves many strange roles and having to talk to a lot of people. That's what stashiy brat always does! I guess. And talk to other countries! _Brat_ said there is a mooonton of them around the world; 198! And he said that more may come in the future!

\- You look really excited about it, Ivan. – A wrinkled and bearded gnome watched from his place leaning against one of the pillars that supported the roof of the planter, blowing smoke from his pipe.

\- _Brat_ said that I will be able to play with them without hurting them! I don't want to hurt anyone, so I'm so happy!

\- Awn, you are such a lovely child! – Blusky grabbed Ivan by the cheek again. – I almost regret leaving you with Artie; could have taken you to the fairy world!

\- Fairy world?

\- It is the place where we all came from and where we will all go one day. – Flying Mint Bunny replied, waving his wings. - There is a magical place where there is a lot of nature and magic; like a magic garden!

\- A magic garden? Like this?

\- Almost. – Brow laughed at the wonder visible on the child's face. – It's more beautiful, more colorful ... It's different. You would have to see to understand. Arthur's garden is wonderful, but it doesn't compare to the fairy world.

\- And then? Are you curious? Do you want to go there? – Blusky asked, floating in front of Ivan's face.

\- Stop talking nonsense, Blusky! Arthur would not be happy about it and neither would the queen! – The gnome with the pipe grunted, blowing a loud puff at his displeasure.

\- But why not? There, Ivan could play at will and would always be a child! He can even come back later and still be a child!

\- But I want to grow! – Ivan countered, pouting to Blusky, who did not expect such an immediate refusal. – If I remain small I will not be able to help stashiy brat! - And in the face of the confusion of his companies the boy exclaimed. – _Brat_ is always taking care of me, playing with me, telling stories and putting me to sleep, but he works hard and never lets me help, even when he is tired, because he says that I am still a child! I don't want to be a child forever!

\- Awn, you are so sweet. It must be the best brother Arthur ever had. – Blusky commented with a smile, just to get the gnomes to get your attention.

\- I know. He told me that he already had many younger brothers, but they all left. I love _stashiy brat_ more than anything and certainly more than your others… Brothers! I love Arthur and I will never leave him! That's why I'm your best _mladshiy brat (little brother)!_

The words were spoken with such conviction that it left the little creatures in an impressed silence, never expecting such certainty from a child. Ivan doesn't even seem to notice the impact he has made, humming nonchalantly as he flipped through his book.

\- Ivan, come to lunch! – Arthur called him from the garden door and Ivan immediately dropped the book, took his two plushies and ran to Arthur, looking at the older man with a adoration that left him momentarily disconcerted.

\- What's it? Something happened?

\- _Nyet_. – Ivan laughed, confusing Arthur even more, especially when the boy grabbed his legs, rubbing his face affectionately. – _Ya lyublyu tebya, starshiy brat (I love you, big brother)!_

Arthur blinked in confusion, his face slowly heating up as he understood the words that Ivan spoke. _Lyublyu_ , or love, was one of the first words they learned when Ivan received books in his native language and the little child loved to speak at every opportunity he had, much to the delight of Arthur's poor heart that beat harder every time Ivan said those words.

The Brit didn’t want to admit, but he worried that, once he knew what it really was, that Ivan would want to leave. Ask for your independence. Of course, Russia was not really his colony and Arthur no longer regretted his past losses, proud of where each of the nations he created arrived, but he knew that the time would come when Ivan would have to leave his home, his care and as much as he said it was expected, he wanted to make the most of their time. Did you pretend to miss the childish laughter echoing throughout the house. That he wasn't afraid that Ivan would ignore him after all this.

Despite his somewhat irrational fears, hearing the child's words of affection fueled the hope that all would be well in the future, so Arthur smiled, returning the hug as best he could before he left, his stomach rumbling.

\- No, no, no. Wash your hands first, young sir. – Arthur lifted him up in the air when Ivan tried to run straight to the table.

\- _Nyet_!

\- _Da_!

\- _Stashiy braaat!_

* * *

\- Brat, can I take Mister Medved and Jelly with me? – Ivan asked holding the two plushies with a hopeful look standing in the door of Arthur's room, watching Arthur go from side to side in his room.

\- Just one, Ivan. You will not be able to walk with both at the same time; it will only hinder you!

\- But Jelly will feel lonely if I don't take her! – Ivan clutched the stuffed jellyfish in his arms with big devastated eyes that almost - almost - made Arthur surrender.

\- Fairies and gnomes can keep you company and when we get back I'm sure Jelly will love to hear everything you saw! – Arthur assured, saving a quick look at the boy before turning to his task.

Ivan pouted, not satisfied with Arthur's answer, but obeyed, walking away to his room murmuring apologies and guarantees to the plush. Ivan was quick to forget the stuffed animals, however, when he saw Arthur come into his room to get his bag. It was a fairly large rolling suitcase in blue with a white polar bear and red stripes on the side, the colors of Russia, which matched a smaller bag.

\- Can I help you, _stashiy brat? Po’halyustha (Pozhalyusta - please)_!

\- Ok, ok, you can choose what you want around here, BUT... You must show me before. – Arthur instructed him and Ivan was quick to nod before running to his wardrobe.

In the suitcase they put the essentials: daily changes, already separated by day and packaged, cold sweaters, shoes, some spare parts, just to be sure, pajamas, some diapers and hygiene products in a necessaire. In the small bag, Arthur let Ivan put some of his favorite toys, some books and coloring pencils along with two coloring books in half and a notebook with some surprisingly good doodles for a child.

\- Don't you think you're carrying too many pencils, Ivan? – Arthur asked the boy, who shook his head.

\- It's for friends that I'm going to make! They may not have crayons, _stashiy brat!_

Arthur felt his heart stop with the child's sweetness and stroked his hair, a little shaking with emotion, confusing Ivan. Arthur wanted to share that same childlessness and not think about these five days to come.

His government had already alerted him to the measures the American government wanted to take against him and Arthur doubted that this would change when he explained the situation at the meeting. England would still be helping Russia and that was not something the American government would accept, regardless of what Alfred wanted.

There were also his older brothers; the Briton barely spoke to them since the last meeting and did not know what they would say and even if it didn’t change his opinion about the situation at all, some part of Arthur wanted his older brothers to accept Ivan. Folding some clothes, the old empire sighed, wondering how he got himself into this mess.

They packed Arthur's suitcase then, Ivan insisting on helping and Arthur didn't complain when the clothes in his suitcase got a little crooked and wrinkled, discreetly tidying them up afterwards, when Ivan was already asleep. He didn't mind doing the job twice, just satisfied to see the smile on the plump little face.

Watching Ivan sleep in his bed, Arthur stroked his face gently, sighing with concern as he told himself he was being negative. Ivan had conquered him, so he was sure to conquer the other nations.

* * *

_Ivan was happy. He had found many mushrooms and even some wild berries, the wicker basket he carried with him in what seemed like decades. His stomach rumbled with hunger, but he held on, running through the trees and almost tripping over his feet._

_It was not long before he saw an old hut in the middle of the forest, but stopped immediately when he saw a saddled horse grazing near the house. He rarely saw a horse and it had never been a good experience and if there was a horse saddled in his home..._

_-_ Sestry _! – Ivan dropped the basket, running home as fast as his feet could carry him, bursting through the door abruptly. - LEAVE MY_ SESTRY _ALONE!_

_\- Ru-Russia-chan… - A girl in patched clothes and wearing a braided bun stammered, huddled next to one of the walls with a shoulder-length blond-haired girl hidden behind her, the biggest looking at him with concern as the little one he was staring at a spot in the room with fury in his eyes._

_Following his gaze, Ivan saw a man sitting at the precarious table they had; he was a tall man, with a short beard and a thin mustache, wearing thick and strange clothes, with iron meshes on top, together with a pointed helmet on his head. He had unusual features; his eyes were more drawn and his skin was slightly yellow and Ivan knew immediately that this man was not part of his people._

_\- So you are what's left of Russia de Quieve, huh? - The man spoke in a strange dialect, rising from the table with slow movements, approaching Ivan who had the impression that the man seemed to grow with each step taken. - From today you serve me!_

\- Ivan, wake up.! – A voice called him, taking Ivan out of his sleep and confused, the boy looked around, blinking his eyes before turning to the older blond, seeing concern in his green eyes.

\- _Stashiy brat?_

\- What is it, Ivan? Did you have a nightmare? – Arthur approached him, worried, but Ivan denied, not sure if he had a nightmare or not, the dream quickly disappearing from his mind. - Well, then get up; we are going to travel today!

\- Now? - Ivan sat down in a quick movement, smiling broadly.

\- In a few hours, but your friends want to say goodbye to you first.

And as if waiting for the fairy cue and Flying Mint Bunny entered through the window, surrounding the boy with words of goodbyes and jokes. Arthur even felt a twinge of envy, but he stifled those feelings quickly, knowing how stupid he was.

\- Don't forget about us when you go, make new friends, Ivan! - Brown joked, landing on his head.

\- Tell us everything you see in Italy; Arthur doesn't like to tell us about the meetings! – Pinky fluttered her wings, excited and smiling.

\- You don't need to know. – Arthur snorted, going down to the kitchen with Ivan behind him.

\- You just don't do anything interesting to tell. Get cranky while traveling! – Blusky teased him before turning to Ivan. – Don't be like him, love; don't grow a grouchy spoilers!

Ivan didn't quite understand what she meant, but he knew that she was criticizing her beloved older brother and he was quick to leave in defense of Arthur, making the little creatures laugh, as well as Arthur.

He served a few slices of grenki and pieces of fruit and juice, quickly swallowing a few slices of bread as he ran around the house to finish fixing everything. Nikau called him, wanting to know if everything was okay and wishing them a good trip, ensuring he would be at the meeting, more to support the two than anything else. Arthur was grateful for that.

\- _Stashiy bra_ t, I'm done!

\- Okay, going up to take a shower. I have to go, Nikau. Soon the taxi will be here.

\- Okay, I'll meet you at the hotel, then. And don't worry too much about things Arthur. Even if Alfred gives you trouble, the majority of the Commonwealth will not meddle in these matters.

Arthur was a little surprised by the unusual use of his name by the other nation, but he quickly covered up his surprise - and concern - with a mocking sound, ensuring that everything was fine before hanging up.

As he climbed the stairs, Arthur smiled at Ivan's footsteps and his one-sided conversation with his stuffed animals. The little Russian was so excited that he was talking all about what he was going to do at this "world meeting", creating stunning scenarios that made Arthur swallow his laugh at how imaginative the boy was.

\- Okay, little diplomat. To the bathroom. Fast fast! - Arthur laughed, lifting Ivan high and provoking delicious laughter. The clothes were soon discarded and in what seemed like a blink to the child, Arthur was helping him to change.

They were just running out when a horn from outside warned them that their ride to the airport had arrived and Arthur quickly jumped out, going to get his bags.

\- Do you have everything you want to take, Ivan? I'll take the bags down. - Arthur warned, looking at the little boy who nodded, taking the small backpack and Mister Medved, not before saying goodbye to the jellyfish with a kiss before quickly grabbing his backpack and running down the stairs, finding Arthur already returning to inside.

Arthur wrapped Ivan's scarf around his neck and picked it up, taking a picture of the two together in the middle of the room. "A reminder of our first trip". It was Arthur's justification, even though Ivan didn't ask.

\- Are you ready, Ivan?

\- Da! - The little Russian smiled excitedly, anxiously and with a small smile Arthur put his cell phone in his pocket and closed the door behind him, the sound of the key turning in the lock echoing in the now empty residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, to end this part some explanations that, if you don’t add more to the story, at least you’re curious enough to be here.
> 
> \- Muscovy emerged as the Successor State of Quieve and was the main force in the process of reunification of Russia and in the struggle for independence against the Mongol Golden Horde, gradually reuniting the Russian principalities and came to dominate Quieve Russia's cultural and political legacy. Around the 18th century, the country had a great territorial expansion through the conquest, annexation and exploration of vast areas, becoming the Russian Empire, between 1721 and 1917.
> 
> \- Ok, clarifying some points about Russia's dream: in the anime Russia was constantly chased by Mongolia and the Teutonic Knights and for being a child, we have an approximate date of birth.  
> \- I imagined that the birth of Russia took place in the formation of Muscovy, a Successor State of Russia of Quieve, the first Slavic state founded in the 9th century by the eastern Slavs that later disintegrated in several small feudal states, including Moscow, the which means Russia was a child when the Golden Horde invaded him in 1237.  
> \- In 1242 “The Ice Battle” took place, where the Teutonic Knights faced the Russian barbarians in their religious expansion, which then covers the events shown in the anime. Ivan was born in the midst of conflict, in a turbulent time and spent a long time under Mongol rule, breaking free from the horde's yoke only in 1480.  
> \- With that, you can already get an idea of what Ivan's nightmare is all about, right?


End file.
